Total Drama: Cody's Redemption
by CosmicWarrior
Summary: Total Drama has ended, and Cody is still single. All he ever wants is to have someone special in his life. A chance to redeem himself. He's given a second chance as he returns to the island, while coming across some changes. How will he perform this time around, and how will it affect the game and its course? (Based off of 'Total Drama Redemption' by PurpleBandit3000)
1. Prologue

As I slowly left my office building heading towards my car, I sighed in relief glad to be done for today's work. It's mid-November, meaning the weather has gotten a lot colder. Then again, it was always beginning to get cold around the start of fall. Luckily I'm smart enough wear my favourite thick-grey sweater for this kind of weather.

I entered my car, roared it to life and drive back home. I live a few miles off from Downtown Vancouver in Canada. It's nothing really special, just an average middle-class home. I bought my house after graduating from University, and I managed to achieve my dream of becoming a Computer Programmer.

I got home after driving for about thirty minutes, and boy I'm glad to finally be back home. I'm still human, so I still get exhausted from work. I work extra hard at my job and sometimes try to work overtime shits. This one time my boss actually gave me a week-long vacation off from work because he said I was working 'over-over-overtime'. My job pays pretty well; I earn just enough to pay my bills, buy my food, and some other stuff I need, like video games. Just because I'm twenty-six years old doesn't mean I have to not like video games again.

Heading into my home, I enter my living room and sit in my favourite armchair. I'm glad to be back home, and already I feel lonely. There's only one thing I don't have that's making me feel this way.

A girlfriend.

Yes. I, Cody Anderson, still haven't gotten a girlfriend yet. I've been friend zoned for the past twenty-six years now.

No matter what I did, and how nice I am to a girl, any girl for that matter, they would always go for the stronger, hotter, and sportier dudes. They never go for a geek like me. I made so many attempts at getting myself a girlfriend. I tried acting as some womanizer and referred to myself as the "Codemeister" to sound cooler. Heck, I even tried being my normal self. But no matter what I did, I never got a girlfriend. I tried to get one in high school, during my time in Total Drama, and again when attending University.

You know what, perhaps I should probably get some rest. An evening walk could do me some benefits. There's a forest trail about a block away, and I usually walk along there to set my mind off of things. I grabbed my sweater before heading out again.

While walking along my usual path, my mind went back to my time on Total Drama. I never entered Total Drama to win myself fortune and glory. Though it would totally be cool to win anyway. I almost won _World Tour_ , but only managed to rank at third place. Indeed, I was disappointed for losing when I was so close, but third place was still an achievement for a geek like me.

I'm getting off topic here. The main reason why I auditioned for Total Drama was so I could make friends, and to hopefully score myself a girl. My goal, however, was unsuccessful. Not only did all the girls I was interested in chosen somebody else over me, but I ended up making a big fool of myself on National television. I got mauled by a bear and was stalked by some creepy fangirl who wanted my underwear.

Gwen was probably the biggest example of my goal. I've been trying to get Gwen's attention during TDI for almost every episode. Even if she said that we were friends, she didn't really, well, acted like a friend.

It took just after Total Drama ended, that I actually come to realize what type of girl Gwen is. When I laid my eyes on her for the first time, I thought she looked super pretty and hot, hotter than any girl I ever saw before. I don't remember what it was about Gwen that got me to fall in love with her, but just looking at her got my heart and stomach to spin full circles. I complimented her in many ways I could, I tried to be the proper gentleman for her, and I gave her my full support. But she rejected me and only thought that I was just trying to get in her pants which creeped her out. I'll admit, I was acting pretty perverted towards her. I mean, I smelled her hair while she was writing in her diary at one point.

She only wants to talk with Trent and as much as I hated to realize that, Gwen preferred Trent over me. Despite that sad truth, I still willingly set her and Trent up together, because I wanted her to be happy. I was hoping she'd give me the benefits of doubt and become friends with me, but no, she still continued to avoid me. In fact, I bet she was glad that I left the island. When I got mauled by a bear, it gave her an excuse to vote me out, rather than Heather, who's been making Gwen's life a misery since the beginning. She voted someone out who was trying to benefit her life.

I never gave up in getting on her good side, even after the first season ended. I tried giving her comfort after that stunt she pulled on Trent getting him eliminated in season two. When Gwen got the boot later, fans, critics, and even some of the cast members starting calling Gwen 'New Heather'. I was so angry with how everyone began to treat her horribly then. I did whatever I can to make Gwen feel better, but whenever I made a move, she pushes me away. She wanted to get back into the graces with the more popular contestants for some reason. I never gave up on Gwen though and I still tried to get her to like me.

During the third season, I thought my luck would finally turn around. She wasn't dating Trent anymore so I thought I could try again. But no. Gwen went for Duncan. She went behind her new friend, Courtney's back, while Duncan was also dating her at the same time. I tried to not let it get to me, but at the end of the day, she never accepted my offer to be her boyfriend.

Looking back at everything that had happened then, I eventually realized that Gwen wasn't the dream girl I thought she was. She used my affections for her as a tactic to get more votes in order to win, she betrayed Courtney and stole her boyfriend, giving the fans and cast more ammo to call her the 'New Heather'. And she still tried to make herself out as the innocent one and everyone else, even myself, the guilties. She didn't even give a rat about me when I was being stalked and molested by the crazy fangirl.

I was officially done with Gwen after Total Drama.

Even till this moment, I still can't believe that I was an idiot for liking her. What did I even see in her, to begin with? Was I only attracted to her because of her looks? There were so many other girls that I could've tried to snag instead of Gwen, but my attention was exclusive to that one girl, even more than on my male friends from Total Drama. Why couldn't I try to grab someone else that's far better than Gwen? I'll tell you why: Because I was such an idiotic naive fool living my life through this fake and unnatural nature of optimism I once had.

I was such a fool back then. In my attempt to be cool, I only made my social life a lot worse.

At least Sierra isn't around to bother me anymore. At the end of World Tour, Sierra, despite claiming to be just my friend, quickly returned to stalking me. I tried filing for a restraining order, but it only worked for a few days. Deciding enough was enough, I decided to change all of my personal data such as my social media accounts, registrations, location, etcetera. It was the only way Sierra wouldn't find me. My parents agreed to this, and I moved to Vancouver to study and live there. My family's extremely rich. We're actually one of the richest people in Canada. Getting me a new house and a post-secondary tuition was very easy for them. To this day I haven't received any messages, letters, or any sort of word from Sierra. I'm so relieved that this development is still continuing, and that I'll never run into Sierra for the rest of my life.

But I'm not gonna lie, I'd hate myself if anything bad happens to her. I hope she's doing okay wherever she is.

I also decided to drop my Codemeister act since there's no point in using that ego any longer. The Codemeister's dead, and he's never coming back.

I check my watch to find that it's been an hour now since I started walking through the forest trail. It's getting pretty dark. I better return home for tomorrow. It feels like its starting to get colder.

As for my former castmates, I still kept in touch with most of them. Trent, Owen, Noah, Harold, and DJ are who I still chat with online. We chat or talk over Facecam over what's happening with our lives. I learned from Noah that he's dating a girl he met named Emma from this other reality show that he competed in a few years ago. It was called The Ridonculous Race. I was proud of him for that, but also jealous He managed to snag himself a hot girl and not me. I totally wish I was him right now. And just in case, I took caution and made myself anonymous in the chat room or on video calls so Sierra wouldn't find me. They understand my predicament.

When I got back home, I turned on the TV to see if there was anything worth watching. There wasn't really anything on except for some sports and news. I turn to the news channel to get my mind off of Total drama. Only, when I turned it off for the night, my mind went back to Total Drama.

Total Drama really changed my future. According to Sierra, I was polled as one of the most popular contestants in the cast. I never really cared for outside popularity though, I just want to have friends, and to also get a girlfriend. In fact, Total Drama changed everyone's lives

I joined Total Drama back in 2007 when I was sixteen. When it ended, my popularity slowly died down afterwards, and I became a normal everyday human being. Sometimes I would just wish on a shooting star for a second chance in the series. A chance for redemption, not just to win, but to also get a girlfriend.

Just one chance in redeeming myself. That's all I ask. Though, that's just as possible as if my life was all a reality show. I can't go back and change the past, no matter how much I want to. It's 2017 now, and time machines have yet to be invented.

I went into bed and slowly drift to sleep, just before I made one more thought.

 _I wonder how it could've been if I wasn't so focused solely on Gwen._

"Like I'll ever go back to that show," I muttered, just before sleep took hold of me...


	2. Chapter 1 - Deja Vu

I wake up in the morning feeling like my new self again. No, that didn't sound right. I feel like a teenager while waking up. I always woke up at 7:00 so I have an hour to prepare for work.

I yawn before saying, "Woo... I really slept well last night," I mutter to myself before getting out of bed.

I then notice something off. My bedroom looks a lot larger than what I saw last night. In fact, it looks exactly just like my room back in the mansion I used to live in back in Toronto. This is really strange.

Regardless of this strange occurrence, I decided to not think about it and move on. I exit my room and walk straight to the bathroom to continue my preparations for work. After entering the bathroom, I rinse my toothbrush and brush my teeth. After rinsing my teeth, I look at myself in the mirror. However, I see something else, something that shocks me.

I'm looking at my teenage self.

I'm now shorter than I was at twenty-six, I lost my facial hair I had growing, and I notice myself lacking some of my other adult features.

Most people in my situation would have screamed in horror if they de-aged like I did. However, after experiencing so many weird and crazy stuff during Total Drama, I didn't. I simply stare with wide-eyes at the image in front of me. I put my hand to my cheek, feeling my younger geeky face once more.

"Am I… Still in bed?" I ask myself before hearing a familiar voice calling for me.

"Cody! Are you up yet?" That voice belongs to my mother! I think it's safe to say that I'm not in Vancouver anymore. I'm back in Toronto.

To avoid any soon-to-be suspicions, I reply back, "Yeah Mom! I'm up! What's happening?"

"Don't you remember? Today's the day you go for that game show you applied for," Gameshow? What was she talking about? "You better hurry. Someone will be picking you up soon," Okay hold on, she said someone's coming to get me for some game show. This feels strangely familiar. I 'm not gonna jump to any conclusions yet, so I'm putting my thoughts on hold for now. In the meantime, I put away my dental tools, took a shower, dried myself off, went back to my bedroom and put my clothes on.

"Make sure you've packed everything you need for your trip," that was my mom again. If I'm going somewhere, I'm going to need all the stuff I need. I grab a duffel bag from my large closet and pack in it some needed toiletries, extra clothing, and some other miscellaneous items for later use. After double checking that I packed everything, I went downstairs to see my Mom making breakfast in the kitchen. "Ah good, you've made it on time. Come and have breakfast sweety," I sit and eat her breakfast, still trying to figure out what is going on.

"Hey, Mom? Remind me what's going on again?" I ask her.

"Don't you remember, you're going to that game show you auditioned for. Total Drama, remember?"

Is she for real? Am I going back to Total Drama? "What are you talking about?" I ask feeling confused. "Hasn't Total Drama been cancelled?"

"What are you talking about?" She's looking just as confused as me. "We got confirmation that you're on the show. Today's the day when you're getting picked up and taken to where the show is at."

Okay, this is _really_ becoming all too familiar to me. I pinch my left leg a few times just to make sure if I'm really dreaming. I gave up after my tenth pinch, feeling myself not waking up. My jaws drop when I finally realize what's going on: I somehow went back in time to compete in Total Drama Island again. No wonder why I woke up in my old bedroom. I shake myself out of my shock and attempt to play along.

"Oh yeah, I remember now. Total Drama. I can't believe I didn't realize today's the day I go for that show," Good job me. A+.

"I thought you'd be more excited for this. You were very hyped for it in the last few weeks since you got accepted."

"Oh yeah. I'm still totally excited. I'm just feeling tired is all."

"You haven't been staying up all night playing your video games. Did you?" She says glaring at me suspiciously.

"What!? Of course not! No way mom," She continues to suspiciously look at me until shrugging it off.

After breakfast, I sit down on the living room couch waiting to be picked up for TDI. I can't believe this is really happening to me. Somehow, some deity or whoever's behind this out there send me back to compete in Total Drama Island again. I'm getting a second chance to compete in the competition. This can be very beneficial to me.

First and foremost, no more ogling Gwen. I wasted so many opportunities and so much time because I was following her around everywhere. And perhaps I can become real friends with her this time around. Secondly, I have a clear advantage over everyone else because I know what's gonna happen in each and every episode. I just gotta act it out cool and casual when I get there. I can't let anyone know that I'm some time traveller sent from the future to compete again.

After what feels like years, when it had only been an hour, the doorbell rings. I stand up from the couch and went to see if it's that guy that's supposed to pick me up. I open the door to see that it's him. He's wearing a suit with a red tie and has a silver wristwatch on his left wrist.

"I'm here to pick up Cody Anderson?" the guy said.

"Um, I'm Cody Anderson," I tell him.

"Swell, quickly grab your stuff, and meet me in the car," He says before turning around and heads back to his car. I peak around him to find that it was a Cadillac that he's driving.

I spun and call out to my Mom and Dad, letting them know that I'm leaving now. They walk up to me and tell me to do good and behave, before wishing me all the luck in the world. We gave each other our hugs and kisses and gave our goodbyes. And so, I exit the mansion and enter the back seat of the Cadillac with my duffel bag by my side. This guy then starts the car and we got driving.

After driving me for about three hours, he parks the car at a small shipyard. This is the same shipyard from the first time I came to TDI. This really is deja vu that I'm feeling now.

"Wow, can't believe I'm going back," I said quietly to myself

"What are you talking about?" I heard the guy say. I need to start keeping my mouth shut.

"Oh um… n-nothing," Lucky for me, the guy shrugged off my statement.

"Well, your yacht is here. It's right over there," he pointed to a yacht that was parked next to a dock. That's the same Yacht I took when I first came here. "By the way, congrats again on getting selected for the show."

I thank him for the compliment before exiting the car. With my duffel bag in hand, I walk towards my designated yacht. I got on board, and after a few minutes, the boat started, and we were off towards the island. No one else's on board besides myself and the captain that's driving this boat.

After about another hour of travel (this time on a boat), the island starts to come into view. Camp Wawanakwa. I could see the cliff, and the dock up in the distance. This is it, I'm actually returning back to where it all started. The place where my life took a major overhaul.

"No more fooling around," I tell myself with no one watching me. "I came to this island and waisted my potential for self-quality. This time will be so much different. No Codemeister and no Gwen. I'm gonna win."

I have officially returned to Total Drama Island.

* * *

 **I began to work on this chapter immediately after the prologue was done. It's short, but hope you enjoy it.**


	3. Chapter 2 - Not so Happy Campers Part 1

The yacht parks next to the dock and I quickly got off. I took a quick look at Chris McLean before looking at the other campers who arrived before me. Beth, DJ, Gwen, Geoff, Lindsay, Heather, Duncan (the complete backstabbing bastard), Tyler, Harold, Trent, Bridgette, Noah, Leshawna, Katie & Sadie, and Ezekiel. I'm the seventeenth to arrive.

"Cody, the Codester, the Codemeister!" Chris greeted me. I decide to not say the same thing as last time.

"Hey Chris," I greet him back in a casual tone. It feels kind of weird meeting someone I already knew personally.

"Really? I thought that you would, you know, try to woo the girls with your charms, and fail," he tells me with an unimpressed look on his face.

"What are you talking about? I just wanna make friends and win. Why try to embarrass me?" I said before walking past the host and joining with my castmates. I wasn't lying about the friends part, though. It totally is really good if I'm in good graces with everyone.

After finding my spot to stand at, the next camper came. It was Eva who's next.

"Eva, nice! Glad you could make it!" Chris greets her. She, however, ignores him and stops next to me. Knowing what's gonna happen next, I move a step away from her. She drops her bag of barbells onto the dock, missing my foot this time.

"Are those barbells in there?" I ask the bodybuilder like last time.

"Yes," Eva replies back, followed Duncan telling DJ that she was 'all yours, man'.

"Woohoo!" I already know who's the next one was just from the cheer. It's Owen. I smile after I had my sights on him. "Chris! What's happening! This is awesome! Woohoo!" Owen's pretty excited, to say the least.

"Owen! Welcome!" Chris greets him also excited.

"Awesome to be here man!" he then went up to Chris and hugs him tightly, just like the last time. "YEAH! Man, this is just so…?!"

"Awesome?" Gwen finishes Owen's sentence for him.

"Yes, awesome! Woohoo! Are you gonna be on my team?"

"I sure hope so," Gwen responds sarcastically. Isn't Noah supposes to be the sarcastic one? Owen puts Chris down and made his way towards us.

"Are you about done yet?!" Chris asked Owen.

"Sorry man! I'm just so psyched! WOOHOO!" Jeez, Owen, I know you're psyched, but I never recall you being this psyched.

"Cool. Anyway, here comes Courtney," right after Chris says that Courtney's yacht arrived, and said girl came off the ramp. Oh boy, I remember Courtney very well. She's a total control freak who always tries to get what she wants. I remember how she was nasty to me during World Tour. I get that Duncan cheated on her, and it hurt her a lot, but that didn't explain why she was trying to make other people's lives a misery.

"Hi, you must be the other contestants, it's nice to meet you," She suddenly greets in a cheerful tone. Cheerful tone? Why is she being cheerful right now? Isn't she suppose to be acting uptight and cruel?

"Hi! I'm Owen!" Owen greets her back by shaking her hand really hard.

"Nice to meet you Ow… Wow," everybody turns to see what Courtney is looking at, and it's a who. More specifically, Justin.

All the girls and Owen began to swoon over him. I still don't get why girls always swoon over the hot model types. This isn't some high school film you know. I mean, look at what happened with Bridgette and Leshawna when they were swooning over Alejandro during season three. That guy was a huge jerk. Just like Duncan.

Dang, I'm going off topic here. Chris already introduced Justin while I was in deep thought. Owen then compliments his pants, saying they look worn out. "Did you buy them like that?" Owen asks him that question.

"Uh no, just had them for a while," Justin answers honestly.

"Oh, okay." Owen then slaps his forehead, muttering to himself. "Stupid."

The last yacht appears with Izzy standing at the bow. She's the last camper to arrive. She trips over the yachts fencing, leading her to slam her head on the dock and sank into the water. Ouch.

"Ooooh, that was bad," really Tyler, I know I arrived after you, but I remember from the reruns that you attempted to do an epic entry by water skiing, only to have crashed into some suitcase.

"Guys, she could be seriously hurt!" Courtney says while... attempting to help her out?

 _"Courtney being nice again?"_ I thought. I need more time to think about this new development. After Courtney helped her out of the water, Izzy shakes off all the water from herself like a dog.

"Oh, my gosh… that felt good!" She then went on to ask a flurry of questions rapidly. "Except for hitting my head! Is this summer camp? That is so cool! Do you have paper mache? Are we having lunch soon?"

"Lunch? That would be awesome!" Owen said.

After Owen's comment on lunch, Chris calls for a group picture. Aw man, I know how this was going to end, but what could I do? I gotta avoid any suspicions, no matter how much any info could benefit them. This means I had to get wet again.

I pose behind Beth like the first time, then we wait for Chris to take the picture.

"Okay everyone," Chris called out. "One... Two... Three… Oops, forgot the lens cap," he took the lenses off. "Okay, hold that pose. One… Two… Oh, no wait! Card's full. Hang on."

"'Come on, man, my face is starting to freeze!'' Leshawna complained.

"Got it! Okay, everyone says, Wawanakwa!"

"Wawanakwa!" and right after we said that the dock collapsed, leaving us all wet.

"Okay, guys. Dry off and meet at the campfire pit in ten," Chris says.

"Jesus me. Had to go through that again," I mutter to myself so no one can hear me.

While drying myself up, I notice something else. I'm wearing the same exact clothing I wore the first time here. I have on my favourite pair of jeans, my yellow t-shirt with red and blue stripes across over my undershirt, and my favourite sneakers too.

The rest of us finishes drying ourselves before going to the bonfire area. This gave me an opportunity to describe my castmates. Why? Just felt like it. There's:

Beth: The Farm Girl

DJ: The Gentle Giant

Gwen: The Sensible Goth

Geoff: The Party Animal

Lindsay: The Bubblehead Beauty

Heather: The Manipulative Queen Bee

Duncan: The Delinquent backstabbing je-... I mean rebel

Tyler: The Clumsy Jock

Harold: The Talented Nerd

Trent: The Friendly Musician

Bridgette: The Blonde Surfer

Noah: The Sarcastic Bookworm

Leshawna: The Sassy Loudmouth

Sadie: The BFFF

Katie: The other BFFF

Ezekiel: The Homeschooled prairie boy

Eva: The Temperamental Fitness Buff

Owen: The Cheerful Fella

Courtney: The High-Strung CIT

Justin: The Overrated Handsome Model

Izzy: The Insanely Crazy Nutcase

And finally, there was me - Cody: The Tech Geek.

Not a ladies man wannabe. That trait of mine is gone.

We arrive at the campfire area and gather around in a large group. Chris arrives after us and begins to explain the rules of the contest.

"This is Camp Wawanakwa, your home for the next eight weeks. The campers sitting around you will be your cabin mates, your competition, and maybe even your friends. You dig?" We listen carefully to what he's saying. Some were skeptical about the 'friend' part. "The camper who manages to stay on Total Drama Island the longest, without getting voted off, will win one hundred thousand dollars!"

Duncan then steps forward and asks Chris something. "Excuse me? But how will the sleeping arrangements be like? 'Cause I like to grab a bunk under her," he points his thumb at Heather who flinches at that.

"They're not co-ed, are they?" Heather asks feeling creeped out.

"Nope. The boys sleep on one side of the cabin while the girls sleep in the other," Chris explains. I hear some girls sighing in relief.

"Excuse me, Kyle? Can I have the cabin next to the lake since I'm the prettiest here?" I smile at Lindsay's question. She's known for being the stereotypical dumb blonde oblivious to a lot of things and is unsure of what's going on most of the time. She had her strong moments in season two, but her lightness still makes her cute.

"Okay, you are, but that's not how it works here. And it's Chris."

"I have to be with Sadie, or else I'll die!" Katie says.

"And I'll break out in hives. It's true," Sadie follows. They never want to separate from one another. I can't help but sometimes think that they like each other more than just best friends.

"This can't be happening," Gwen complain. I couldn't believe this is happening either, but only because I was twenty-six yesterday, and all of a sudden I de-aged to my teen years.

After some more complaints, Chris brought out a list and says, "Alright when I call your name, go stand over there. Gwen, Trent, Heather, Cody, Lindsay, Beth, Katie, Owen, Leshawna, Justin… and Noah." Good, I thought I was going to be on the Killer Bass this time. Not because I'm with Gwen again, but I don't feel comfortable being on the same team with Courtney and Duncan, especially Duncan. Sure I'm with Heather, but one jerk is better than two.

But why isn't Courtney acting like a jerk when I saw her? Then again, I don't remember acknowledging Courtney's arrival the first time. Probably because I was ogling Gwen to care about the last bit of campers.

I snap out of my thought just when Chris announces our team as the Screaming Gophers. He then went on to read off to the other team. Geoff, Bridgette, DJ, Tyler, Sadie, Izzy, Courtney, Ezekiel, Duncan, Eva, and Harold. He soon announces them as the Killer Bass.

Katie and Sadie start crying and complaining that they're on different teams. I decide to not feel concern for them because Katie's gonna switch teams with Izzy. It's gonna work out later.

After the team stuff, Chris then explains how we'll be monitored throughout all public areas. Next, he introduces the confessional cab to us where we can go and confess stuff. Some of the Gopher's went in to give it a shot.

* * *

 **Confessionals - Gwen**

"Okay… so far this sucks."

 **Confessionals - Lindsay**

"I'm confused," Lindsay was standing with her back facing the camera. "Where's the camera?"

 **Confessionals - Owen**

"Hey guys check this out guys," Owen said with a serious expression. "I have something very important to say," he then farted. "Ha ha ha!"

* * *

After some thinking, I decided to wait and make a confession later. Chris then tells us to follow him to our cabins.

"Gophers, you're in the east cabin, Bass, you're in the west," He explains. We then enter our cabins to make ourselves comfortable or at least try to. The first time here I was here, I instead went into the girl's side to be closer with Gwen, only to be kicked out. I'm not gonna do the same thing again, so I went straight to the boy's sides. I chose my bed and set my stuff down. I unpack a few things to make myself at home here, my pillow, sleeping bag, and a few of my comic books. Looking at them reminds me of how I enjoyed reading these in my youth. Well, I'm in my youth again, so I might as well re-read them again.

I then got out something I didn't bring with me the first time. My keyboard. Haven't played it in while. Perhaps now that I'm back for a second time, why not get some practice done?

"Hey, nice keyboard. You play it?" I hear someone ask me. I look behind to see who it is. It was Trent. It feels nice seeing him again.

"Yep," I say with a grin. "But I haven't played it in a while, so I might be rusty as hell," I then looked at his guitar. "You're lucky though, your instrument is more portable than mine. Must be also easier to use."

"Pffft, still have it harder than singers do," he says.

"You know, maybe we should jam together once I get back into practice," I suggest to Trent.

"Sure. It be totally cool to practice with a fellow musician," Trent agree while smiling.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I already like Trent," I said beginning my first confession. "He seems to be a really cool guy, and since we both have our own instruments to play, I could see us doing some gigs together. As for everyone else, I'm confident enough to make friends on this island," I then frowned with my arms crossed. "Except for Duncan and Heather. I don't know why, but I'm already getting very bad vibes from them."

* * *

"AWWW!" A loud brawling voice interrupts my conversation with Trent.

"Who was that?" Trent wonders out loud.

"I think that was Lindsay," I answer for him. "She must've heard that the bathrooms are communal and isn't taking the news all that well."

"How do you know that?"

Crap, I said too much. I quickly say, "Well I saw the bathrooms, and they look communal to me. And knowing a girl like Lindsay, she must hate the idea of showering together."

Hope he buys it. "Eh, make sense I guess." Good, he bought it.

"I'm glad we're in our own cabin with just us guys. Know what I mean?" Owen tells us. For real Owen? Did he really have to make us feel uncomfortable around him this early?

"I mean no, I didn't mean it like that," Owen immediately says, realizing his error. "I love chicks. I just don't want to sleep near them-uh, I mean…" Owen tries to reason, only to run out. I know that he's into girls since he hooks up with Izzy, but if only he knew what he's saying.

"Excuse me, Chris, is there a chaperone of any kind here in this facility?" I hear Geoff ask Chris that question.

"You're all sixteen years old, as old as counsellors in training's at a regular summer camp, so other than me, you'll be unsupervised," I might've brushed it off the first time, but having experienced this first hand, I doubt we could take care of ourselves.

Is it just me, or am I starting to sound like Noah or Gwen?

"AAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Jeez, that was Lindsay again. What's she on about?

"Man, that white girl can scream." You're telling me Leshawna. We all went to the girls' side of the Gopher cabin to see what Lindsay's screaming about. We see her standing on a wooden chair totally freaked out because there's a large cockroach scurrying across the floor.

"WHAT IS IT?! KILL IT KILL IT!" Lindsay yells in fear.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!" DJ screams in a high pitch before jumping onto the closest bed to him, damaging it.

"And that was my bed," Sorry Gwen. Harold runs in and begins stomping the floor, trying to squash the cockroach, which continues to evade him. More girls follow in attempts to stomp on it, only to fail repeatedly. I just stand there as I watch the scene unfold.

Duncan then came in with an axe in his hand. He brought it straight down on the bug and cut it in a perfect half.

"Well, that's one way to kill a cockroach," Gwen comments.

"Awesome!" Harold comments too.

"If you ever see one of those things again, just call me and I'll get rid of it for you," Tyler says flirting with Lindsay. She smiles back at him. Looks like the ship Lyler is about to sail.

"They always go for the jocks," You read my mind, Duncan. It's really becoming a cliche trope nowadays.

You know, a notice something else. I went up to the delinquent jerk, as curiosity's overruling my dislike for the rebel.

"Hey Duncan, where did you even get that pickaxe from?" I ask him with my left eyebrow raised.

"Meh, I found it," he replies casually. "Why? Want me to test it out?" Now he's threatening me.

Since I've already experienced these threats, I know how to stand for myself. "I know they say you can get away with murder on TV, but that's a figure of speech," he merely sighs at my response and walks out. Seems I'm immune to his threats now.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I've dealt with these types of threats before," I confessed. "I was bullied for how weak I am, how I'm such a loser geek, and so on. I was able to learn to stand up for myself and talk back to any threats I get," I looked around in the confession with a somewhat of an intrigued look. "Huh, I've only been here for almost two hours and this is already my second confession."

* * *

I see Courtney coming out of her side of the Bass cabin. Seeing her again reminds me of the events that had unfolded earlier.

She acted nice during the introductions back at the docks. She greeted herself in a formal fashion and accepted Owen's handshake without any resistance. And during our settling in, I hadn't seen her acting all mighty and bossy. I think.

She acted really cruel during season two, and it seemed to intensify during season three. That was when Duncan cheated on her with Gwen, and those two girls were slowly becoming good friends then…

Duncan… of course!

She fell for Duncan somehow during season one. However, since their relationship was so dysfunctional, Courtney attempted to turn Duncan into an ideal boyfriend near the end of season two. This made their relationship even more estranged. She did go back with him at the end of the season two finale, but only because he won

This lead to Gwen's partake. I don't remember when, but Gwen fell for Duncan sometime after breaking up with Trent. During season three, she and Courtney were becoming very good friends. By the time they actually became friends, Duncan returned to the game. Then, Duncan and Gwen then cheat on Courtney, and she becomes heartbroken and started to act cruel and mean to not only Gwen and Duncan but also to everyone else.

Of course, it's Duncan, he's the major root of the whole love triangle fiasco. Did he seriously had that much of a negative influence on Courtney? God only knows how much he would've put on Gwen if they continued to date after All-Stars.

Time travelling totally benefited me. I have to get Duncan eliminated a.s.a.p. or at least prevent Courtney from falling in love with him. But how?

"Why are you staring at me?" A voice interrupts my train of thoughts. My attention turns to the source of the voice. Courtney's standing in front of me with a weirded-out look on her face.

"Huh?" is all I said.

"You were staring at me just now," she repeats, her tone is a little stronger this time.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know."

"How could you've not have noticed that you were staring at me since you were doing it?"

"I was lost in deep thought. I was thinking about some past event of mine that played a major role in my life. I guess I was too deep in thought to not realize I was doing something else," I explain to avoid unwanted suspicion. Hope she buys it.

"Well please don't do that anymore. It crept me out," she says, falling for my excuse. Courtney then walks past me, going to the Mess Hall.

Maybe this could be a good opportunity to get to know her better. The good side of her this time. I jump and rush over to her side.

"Wait up," she looks back at me as I stop behind her. "You're Courtney right?" I ask her pretending I'm meeting her for the first time.

"That's right, and I do believe I remember someone saying your name is Cody?"

"Yep," I nodded smiling. "I think that now since we're here, maybe we could use this chance to get to know each other," I hope my charisma is good enough.

Courtney stood there thinking on my suggestion before saying, "Well if you must know, I am a CIT, stands for Counselor In Training, I'm the youngest student president at my school, and-"

"Not like that," I interrupt her. "I mean, those are some cool accomplishments of yours, but I didn't mean 'getting to know each other' like that."

Courtney stood there frozen for a second before speaking again. "What's that supposed to mean. I was telling you about myself before you rudely interrupted me."

"Sorry if I was being rude to you, but I meant getting to know you as a human. Not by what you've accomplished."

She stares at me for a moment before saying, "You're the first person to ask me that. So far everyone else has been content to listen to my list of skills that will certainly come in handy in this competition," I noticed her voice getting louder and more serious. She then narrows her eyes at me. "Why are you even asking me this? In fact, why are talking to me anyway? We're not on the same team. We're supposed to be enemies."

"Just because we're on different teams doesn't mean we're enemies. I mean, look at Tyler and Lindsay. They're on different teams and they're becoming friends with one another already. Besides, these teams only mean so much anyway," I know I'm in the right with this. We could be rivals in these challenges, but not full out enemies. "There's no need to get suspicious of me anyway. I'm not even one to deceive anyone."

Courtney crosses her arms at my response. "Whatever. I doubt your team will appreciate divided loyalties," she then turns and walks away to the Mess Hall.

* * *

 **Confessionals - Courtney**

"I'm not going to give any of my personal info that might be used against me," Courtney said, fuming in her confession. "Granted, Cody doesn't look to be the deceiving type. He's only a geek anyway. But I'm not going to let my guard down at all during this game. Which reminds me, I' need to have a talk with Tyler for associating with that blonde girl on the other team."

 **Confessionals - Cody**

"I understand that she's into politics and such like that," I spoke in my confession. "but she shouldn't take everything so seriously. Maybe if I continue to chat with her some more, she'll eventually open up."

* * *

The twenty-two of us is now in a single file line in the Mess Hall, which was the camp's cafeteria. We're paying close attention to some loud instructions on Chef's food servings, which Chef himself is bellowing out.

"LISTEN UP! I SERVE IT THREE TIMES A DAY, AND YOU WILL EAT IT THREE TIMES A DAY! NOW GRAB YOUR TRAYS, GET YOUR FOOD, AND SIT YOUR BUTTS DOWN NOW!"

"Umm excuse me, but will we be receiving all the major food groups?" Beth asks like the first time.

"Yeah, because I get hypoglycemic real bad if I don't get enough sugar," Harold adds.

"You'll get a whole lot of SHUT THE HECK UP!" He yells in Harold's face, as he then sped off.

"Gee, have a cow," Exactly Owen.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Chef screams in anger. "come to a little closer boy." I hope Owen will be fine.

"Um, I didn't say anything important!" Owen whimpers.

"I'm sure you didn't," Chef said. We then started to get our servings of whatever we were getting. Unlike the first time, my attention was on the food Chef was serving us and not Gwen.

When it was my turn, I step up my courage and ask Chef, "Hey Chef, what is this you're serving us anyway?"

"DON'T QUESTION MY COOKING GEEK BOY!" He shouts right in my face. "YOU EAT WHAT I GIVE YOU!"

"Whoa whoa, I didn't mean anything offensive, honest, bro!" I try to reassure him. "I was just curious is all. There's no need to yell."

Chef just simply stares at me for a few seconds before replying back, "Just take a seat maggot," I'm surprised he said it calmly.

I went with my 'food' and sat at the gopher table. Oh boy, I already feel like vomiting just by looking at this red slop. I took a quick look at some of the other camper's faces, and they're just as grossed out as me.

You know, I notice something with Chef. He may still be the tough army black chef of this show, but he seems a lot calmer and less strained than back in season three.

 _"Just how far did Chriss and the producers pushed you?"_ I thought. I bet the amount of stress throughout Total Drama drove Chef to act more cruel and nastier in later seasons.

And it wasn't just Chef, it was everyone here. Total Drama had a huge impact on everyone's lives, the majority of them being negative. Knowing how everyone's gonna be victim to the show's horrible impact, it makes me feel sad. It also makes me feel guilty that I was unable to see everyone's misfortune then because of my constant ogling for Gwen.

A few minutes have passed before Chris makes his entrance.

"Welcome to the main lodge." He greets us.

"Yo! My man! Can we order a pizza?" Don't say that Geoff! He ducks down as a large hatchet narrowly misses his head. Ha, Chef 'Hatchet'. "Whoa, man chill! Brown slop is cool! Right guys?" He defends himself. But Geoff, we can all agree that brown slop, equals, not cool.

"Put on your swimsuits everyone, because your first challenge begins, in one hour," He announces before leaving the building.

"What do you think he'll make us do?" Katie asks over at the Bass table.

"It's our first challenge how hard can it be?" DJ replies to Katie.

I decided to have a little fun, so I stood up to say, "You just doomed us, DJ. You tempt fate."

"No, I didn't. The challenge can't be that hard," DJ replies feeling optimistic.

* * *

An hour later, we find ourselves standing on top of the large cliff, looking down at the lake below.

"Oh shit," DJ curse.

"I told you so," I tell him.


	4. Chapter 3 - Not so Happy Campers Part 2

"Oh shit." DJ curse.

"I told you so," I tell him.

Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

I learned the first time how Murphy's Law mixes well with Total Drama. First, you are told what the next challenge is gonna be, or when it's gonna be, what's it about, and the comment how simple it sounds. Never tempt fate on a reality show run by a sadistic madman, otherwise, you'll live to regret it. Like what happened with DJ just now.

Chris then begins to explain the rules. "Okay campers. Today's challenge is threefold. Your first task is to jump off this one-thousand-foot high cliff, into the lake."

"Piece of cake," Bridgette comments with a smirk.

 _"This ain't straightforward Bridgette,"_ I say in my mind. _"Wait until you hear the twist."_

"If you look down, you'll notice two target areas. The wider area represents the part of the lake that we have stocked with psychotic man-eating sharks."

"Oh joy, just what we also needed," Noah mutters to me. You're telling me. I'm totally looking forward to jumping into some shark-infested water again.

"Inside that area is a safe zone. That's your target area, which, we're pretty sure, is shark-free."

"Say what now?" Leshawna says feeling worried.

"For each member of your team that jumps and actually survives, there will be a crate of supplies waiting below," And Chris just simply ignore our concerns for the safety of this challenge. He's exactly as I remember: doesn't care one bit for the safety and dignity of us.

I stop listening to Chris to think more on this challenge. The first time when I did this, I was totally scared before and after I took my jump. When I landed in the safe zone, I was quietly thanking Jesus for keeping me alive. However, after partaking in other Total Drama challenge's after the 'Cliff Diving Challenge', they made this challenge feel like a walk in a park.

I fell off a plane without a parachute; I had to climb up the Statue of Liberty for a baby carriage; I road down a bobsleigh track that was totally dangerous to go through, I infiltrated Area 51; I was carried by Sierra across a tightrope above Niagra Falls; I and Sierra almost died when we crashed our wheelchair-hot-air-balloon from that storm somewhere in the Arizona Desert! And if those don't make cliff-jumping a walk in a park, watch what the contestants had to go through in season four and onwards. This one is at least survivable. If I survived the first time, I can survive this time.

"The _losers_ will have to send someone home," I hear Chris finishing his speech before gesturing to the Bass. "Killer Bass, you guys are up first."

Bridgette then asks a question about who wants to go first. But before anyone else response, someone ran past the Bass towards the cliff shouting…

" _ **LEEEEERROOOOOY JEEEEENKINSSSSSS!**_ " That someone is _me_.

I then jump off the cliff and fell to my inevitable doom. " _ **YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!-**_ " and into the safe zone! I manage to swim up to the surface for air.

"I made it! Sweet!" I say while heavily breathing.

It's hard to tell from down here, but I'm sure everyone was watching me as I made that jump. I don't blame them; I too am in shock with myself on what I've just done.

* * *

 **Confessional - Noah**

"...I have no comment…" Was all that he said.

 **Confessional - Geoff**

"That was SICK!" Geoff said very excitedly. "I knew someone had the spirit! That little dude is so gonna be my friend!"

 **Confessional - Gwen**

"Wow… that was totally unexpected…" Gwen said staring wide-eyed at the camera. "You know, it's funny. I thought that he'd be screaming all the way down like those cliche horror movie girls."

 **Confessional - Izzy**

"Hey! Crazy is supposed to be my shtick!"

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"Oh wow! That was, like, so cool and amazing!" Lindsay said feeling amazed before feeling concerned. "I was really scared of doing it though… but if Colby did it, then I could do it too," she said now feeling confident.

* * *

I've been bobbing in the safe zone for about a minute before a boat came to pick me up from the safe zone. The boat stops at the beach's shore and I jump off and onto the sand. I found a spot to stand at while waiting for the other campers to take their turns.

Someone made their jump next; I squint my eyes and recognize Bridgette doing a swan dive. Tyler soon follows after, however, instead of landing in the safe zone, he lands on one of the buoys. Ouch, that has to hurt. After Tyler was picked up, Geoff follows next, followed by Eva, then Duncan.

One by one, more Bass members were populating the beach. I'm the only Gopher on the beach. It feels kind of awkward to be the only campers standing with my rival team. I stood a good distance from Duncan which is great with me. The farther I am from that idiot, the better. Though I do feel bored standing by myself, and Geoff and Bridgette are also here with us. I walk up to the two to start a conversation with them.

"Hey Geoff, Bridgette, how's it going?" I greet the two. They hear me and glance at me.

"Oh, dude! I feel so stoked after jumping, dude!" Geoff says pumping his fist up, feeling really excited. "But what you did back up there dude, that was so awesome bra!"

"Totally," Bridgette nods agreeing with Geoff. "It was so random, yet, so amazing. You stunt even boosted my confidence a bit."

"I honestly didn't know what I was even doing. I just wanted to get it over with without thinking," I tell them. "But come on, you guys, it was just a cannonball. Anyone can do them," I wave my hand casually kinetically showing what I'm talking about.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile)_

This is something I'm gonna do throughout my story. I'm gonna be telling the majority of the time through my perspective in 'present' tense, while I take a stab out of my perspective and narrate what's happening outside my perspective.

Like right now for example. While Geoff, Bridgette, and I were chatting, DJ was next to jump. However, unlike the first five Bass members and myself, he was hesitant and couldn't find his courage to take the leap of faith.

"Nuh-uh, no way man, I'm not jumping," DJ spoke in fear.

"Scared of heights?" Chris asked the gentle giant in a _caring_ voice.

"Yeah man, ever since I was a kid," DJ explained.

"That's okay," Chris said _caringly._ "Unfortunately, that also makes you a chicken, so you'll have to wear this for the rest of the day," Chris then slapped a chicken hat on DJ's head.

"Aww man, really?" DJ complained feeling embarrassed and humiliated.

"Bawk, bawk bawk bawk," Chris imitated some chicken noises while he flapped his arms. "That means the chicken path is that way!" Chris motioned to an escalator that for some reason was installed before DJ walked past the host and down the escalator.

* * *

Eventually, we all see DJ making his way towards us looking disappointed at himself. I and the rest of the Bass notice a chicken hat on his head. Duncan points and laughs at it.

"Dude, what's up with that hat of yours?" Duncan asks still laughing.

"Sorry guys, I was too scared to jump," he says feeling guilty. I notice Eva fuming in anger, definitely angry at him for not jumping. I decide to go up to DJ and pat him in sympathy. Geoff and Bridgette must have the same idea because the soon follow behind me. Seems my jump didn't inspire everyone to jump.

Ezekiel went next, and his excitement he hit a piece of the cliff and spun into the safe zone. He's soon followed by Harold. He did a split in the air, but he hit his unmentionables in the water first.

We all cringe at his predicament. Sorry, Harold. Ouch.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile… Again)_

Back on the cliff, again, Courtney was standing at the edge who was next to jump. However, she didn't jump and decided to make up an excuse for herself.

"Excuse me, Chris, I have a medical condition," Courtney announced.

"What condition?" Chris asked.

"A condition that prevents me from jumping off cliffs," The CIT explained. I was in health class back in high school, and I knew for a fact that there's no such condition.

"You can chicken out if you want, but it might end up costing your team the win. And then they'll hate you," Chris said.

"It's a calculated risk. I've seen the other team and I don't think nine of them will jump."

My team heard her comment and they glared at her angrily. However, it wasn't just her comment that pissed us off, but she was also how she expects all the Bass to jump for her.

"Alright. Here's your chicken hat," Chris said, placing the said chicken hat on her head. She frowned at her humiliation before going down the escalator.

"So, let's tally up the results... hold on, that's eight jumpers and two chickens," Correction: that was _seven_ jumpers and two chickens. He made the same mistake like last time. "We're missing two. Katie's up next," Chris announced before turning to Katie.

"I'm not jumping without Katie," Sadie said feeling anguished.

"We have to be on the same team, Chris. Pleeease!" Katie begged.

"PLEEEASE! PLEEEASE, PLEEEASE!"

Izzy then came to the rescue. "I'll switch teams with her," she offered.

"Okay fine!" Chris gave up. "You're both on the Killer Bass now. Izzy, you're on the Screaming Gophers," he said for he was tired of their complaining.

The BFFFL's let out a cheer and hugged each other tightly. Izzy shrugged and headed over to the Gophers.

"That means you two are up, girls!" Chris said to the two.

"We're coming Killer Bass!" Katie and Sadie said in unison as they jumped off the cliff.

* * *

Eventually, the Bass and I see Courtney making her way towards us with her arms crossed. She also has a chicken on her head, which looks exactly like DJ's. Her face reads that she didn't bail from her turn out of fear. The Bass also notices this and they glare at her.

"What's your story princess?" Duncan asks before pointing to DJ. "Scared of heights like Brick House here?"

"No, I simply refuse to do something this ludicrous and dangerous," Courtney explains.

"Oh yeah? Then what's all this then? We all made it. Even the geek there," He points at me.

"I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting him to jump, but I know that at least half will not."

"Fine. Just don't go crying if you're eliminated, Princess," Duncan says before turning and walking away.

I just sigh at the scene with my left hand on my forehead, seeing this scene play again like last time, only at a different angle.

The BFFFL's made their jump before getting dropped off on the beach, joining the rest of us.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile… Again 2x)_

Back at the top, again, the time had come for my team. It was time for the Screaming Gopher's to take their dive. Some of them were feeling excited, some of them were feeling nervous, and others didn't care.

"So the Killer Bass has a score of nine jumpers and two chickens," Chris explained before turning to the Gophers. "Gophers, you're next. And if you can beat them, I'll even toss in some pull carts for you and you're crates."

"Nice," Trent commented. "So who wants to go first?"

"Yeah, there is no way I'm jumping," Heather declared.

"Why not?" Beth asked curiously.

"Hello! National television, I'll get my hair wet!"

It was kind of ironic that she said that. She was worried about getting her hair ruined but left the show without any hair left. Her hair eventually grew back by the end of Season Two.

"You're kidding right?" Gwen said deadpanning.

"If she's not doing it, I'm not doing it," Lindsay responded naively.

"Oh, you are doing it!" Leshawna butted in, glaring at the Queen Bee.

"Says who?" Heather combatted the Soul Sista.

"Says me. I'm ain't losing our first challenge because you got your hair wet, you spoiled little daddy's girl."

"Back off you ghetto glamour too-tight pants-wearing rap-star wannabe."

"Mall-shopping, ponytail-wearing, teen-girl reading peeking at high school prom queen."

The two stared down at each other for a few seconds before Heather says, "...Well, at least I'm popular."

The majority of Gopher's gasped at that comment. Some still had neutral looks, and Justin was looking at himself in a mirror.

"You're jumping!" Leshawna growled.

"Make me!" Heather said with an I-like-to-see-you-try look.

Leshawna then proceeded to lift Heather up and tossed her off the cliff. She screamed the whole way down but managed to make it into the safe zone.

"Leshawna! You are so dead!" Heather yelled from below after recovering.

"Hey, I threw you into the safe zone didn't I? I just hope I make it." Leshawna then jumped next.

* * *

For the next few minutes, The Bass and I watch the rest of my teammates take their turns. Heather and Leshawna are already with the rest of us on the beach. The former is still fuming at Leshawna for throwing her down.

I then see Lindsay jump. No, correction, I see Lindsay being pushed by Chris off the cliff. That guy is totally a psycho. He and the producers _really_ pushed and mess with all of us throughout the show, all for some stupid ratings.

Lindsay got off the boat and head to join us. However, something about her walking path looks... off. I don't vaguely remember the first time, because it wasn't that important, but she either went up to either Heather or Tyler the first time. But it's not the case here.

She's walking up to me!

"Hi, Colby!" Lindsay greets me once she was right beside me.

I feel so taken back and totally unprepared for this. "Uh, h-hey. And it's Cody," I try to greet back without stuttering.

"Oh sorry. I'm, like, so bad at remembering names," she explains. "Like, back in high school, I had trouble with the other students since I can't remember their names. I think it took, like, a year to remember them," she tells me her story.

Even though I was listening to her story, this feels so awkward for me. I don't recall any conversation I had with Lindsay that lasted this long. Or for that matter, ones that she even started period. It was either Heather, Tyler, or Beth she wants to talk with.

"I see... Well, sorry to... uh... hear that Lindsay?" I apologize.

"Oh, it's okay. It's just that I'm, like, so scared that I have to remember everyone's names here. I think I'm gonna have, like, nightmares about this," she said looking concerned.

I almost chuckled at Lindsay's silly expression and her obliviousness. It's not really a huge issue where one can't remember everyone's names. Heck, even I had some problems with remembering peoples names. But this is Lindsay we're talking about. She gets worried even over the smallest issue she runs into.

"Well, no better time to start remembering peoples names then right now," I point at myself to introduce myself, again. "My name is Cody Anderson, but you can simply call me Cody."

She thinks for a moment. "Colby?"

"Cody."

"...Co...dy?"

"Yeah, that's right! Now try it faster."

"...Cody?" She got it!

"See? You got my name right."

"I did?!"

"Yep. Since you now know my name, I'm sure you'll learn everyone else's name by the end. Heck, I can even help you remember."

Lindsay smiles at my offering. "Aww, thanks, Colby." And she gets my name wrong again. This is gonna take some time.

* * *

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"Cody is so kind and adorable," Lindsay said having a beaming smile on her face. "He said that he's going to help me learn everyone's name here. The only ones that would help me where I live are my family and my school friends."

 **Confessional - Tyler**

"Aw come on, that should be me talking with Lindsay, not Cody," Tyler said pouting during his confession. "Granted, Courtney _did_ tell me to not talk with her anymore since she's a Gopher. Well, more like scolded at me, and Cody does seem like a nice dude, but come on! It's Lindsay! That girl is hot!"

* * *

By the time I was finished talking with Lindsay, more Gopher members took their turns. Gwen went, followed by Justin (who landed outside the safe zone, but the sharks helped him get to land). Beth didn't jump since she was too scared, so she chickened out.

I can see Noah taking his turn now. Thankfully, he lands in the safe zone. Trent follows after Noah, also making the safe zone. Now it was all down to Owen.

I see Owen up at the top of the cliff about to make his leap of faith. WAIT! I just remember! If Owen jumps, he's gonna create a mega-"

 _ ***SPLASH!***_

My thoughts get interrupted when Owen lands in the water creating a mini-tsunami. Noah and Trent get caught in the waves and before washing up onto the shore. Us on land also got wet from the wave hitting us.

"Yes! Yes! Oh yeah! Who's the man?" Owen screams in victory, while the Screaming Gophers cheer and the Killer Bass sulks.

"The winners! The Screaming Gophers!" Chris announces through a megaphone back on the cliff.

"That was awesome dude!" Trent compliments before noticing Owen looking embarrassed. "What's wrong?"

"I think I lost my swimsuit!" Owen yells. That was too much info there, bro.

After Owen found his bathing suit, we begin to load our crates onto our carts. Once loaded, we start to trek our way back to the cabins. I'm paired with Trent, which is fine. After all, he's one of the only real friends I made on this show.

"You know, I saw you talking with Lindsay back there," he tells me.

I glance at him with a raised eyebrow. "Really? How?"

"Back on the cliff when I was about to jump. I saw you chatting with Lindsay," he says.

"Ah. Yeah, I have. She just wanted to say that my jump was cool," I tell him.

"Well, why wouldn't she? The way you jumped out of the blue totally took everyone by surprise!" Trent says. "Heck, I might've still felt scared to do it when it was my turn. You were an inspiration to everyone!"

"Come on Trent," I glance away while rubbing the back of my head feeling embarrassed. "Even if I didn't do it, I'm sure everyone who jumped would've still jumped."

"Perhaps, but dude, give yourself some credit. Not even I'm crazy enough to do that."

I'm not sure if I should take that as an insult or a compliment.

Throughout the remainder of our walk back to camp, Izzy begins to sing "99 bottles of beer on the wall". We all joined in soon after. I then see Lindsay picking up a seashell and saying how it looked beautiful.

Another while later, we arrive back at camp.

"Look, we made it!" Beth's right. Additionally, the Killer Bass are still far behind us.

"That was pretty easy," Owen comments.

After we unloaded our crates, Chris appears.

"Gophers, as you can see, you are here first."

"Are you just going to waste more of our time, or do you have something important to say?" Gwen asks.

"You thought you could just open your crates, build your hot tub and win the challenge, didn't you?" Chris ignores Gwen's question and asks us.

"Well, those _were_ the rules," Noah tells him.

"But now there's a little twist. You can only open the crates with your mouths."

"But won't we get splinters, rope burns, or diseases if we do that?" I ask him.

"Not my problem, have fun," Chris turns and leaves us.

We all begin to pry open the crates with our teeth. It feels like an eternity of struggles and pain.

"God if I continue this, I'll have rope taste in my mouth for the whole day!" I complain.

"Better than having some of Chef's food in your mouth for the whole day," Leshawna says to me. Nice one.

"What are you talking about? Chef's food is delicious!" Owen says. I'll never understand how he's able to eat Chef's foods.

Eventually, after some pain and suffering, Izzy manages to get a crate open. She then complains that she has rope burn on her tongue, though. Soon, the rest of us got our crates open.

"Hey look what I got. Wood!" Owen says picking two planks up.

"I think I got what looks to be a pool liner," says Trent, who was emptying his box.

I open my box to find some more planks of wood and some nails. Just as we were finishing unpacking, the Killer Bass arrive. I notice that two of them were missing.

"Aren't you missing a couple of white girls?" Leshawna asks Harold, Ezekiel and Courtney. The three looks around realizing that Leshawna's right.

"They're getting a drink," Courtney quickly says.

I then notice that Courtney's eyes were swollen. It was so pink and only seems to be getting worse though.

Harold then whispers something to Ezekiel getting the prairie boy to chuckle. I didn't catch what he said though. I'm not close enough.

I ignore the Bass, for now, to return to building the hot tub. I observe my teammates until noticing Gwen carrying some planks. Even though I promised myself that I wouldn't ogle Gwen this time around, that doesn't mean I can casually hang out with her - I can even offer her my assistance. With this in mind, I walk up to Gwen to assist her.

"Need a hand?" I ask her.

"No. Can you please leave?" Gwen replies, albeit rudely. I frown after hearing her say that. Not at what she said, but _how_ she said it. Feeling cross now, I turn to walk away.

* * *

 **Confessionals - Cody**

"What was up with her?" I spoke rather cross and confused. "All I did was offer her my help, and she just tells me to leave her. I wasn't trying to creep her out or anything."

 **Confessionals - Gwen**

"He actually… left," Gwen spoke looking confused. "I thought he… You know what, never mind."

* * *

The twelve of us continue to work on our hot tub. We're doing pretty well so far. We're putting in as much effort and helping each other out. What we're doing is true teamwork. Currently, I'm hammering in some nails to the outer walls of the tub. I stop for a breather and took this chance to see how the Killer Bass are doing. They're not working as a team at all. Some members are fighting over does what, and which tools they get. Not even Courtney's CIT experience is helping things out and only made things worse.

Seeing the CIT in that state makes me… pity her? Why do I feel pity for her? After what she did to me during World Tour and how she talked back to me earlier today, why am I pitying her?

It must be how she's acting in her current condition. The way she's acting, she looks worried for her team and herself, and she must be feeling humiliated because of her swollen eye. The swollen eye must really be bothering her a lot, but she isn't showing her pain.

Sighing to myself again, I stood up and say to my team, "Hey guys, mind if I hop out for a moment? I need to do something. I know we got this already," And I mean it. We're halfway done with our hot tub, and what I'm about to isn't gonna give us the loss. Also, the Killer Bass are working slower than we are. The majority shrug their shoulders, telling me they're alright with me hopping out. I run to the cabin to get what I need.

I know Courtney's swollen eye is an allergic reaction. While packing, I did bring a few things for a situation like this. Once I arrived in the cabin, I begin to dig through my toiletry bag for my bottle of eye drops. After finding them, I head over to Courtney who was still working. I tap her on the shoulders getting her to acknowledge me.

"WHAT!?" she asks harshly with a fierce glare.

"I got this for you," I offer her my eye drops. "I got these in case I get in your shoes. Figured you could use these since your eye's swollen."

I hope that she'll accept my help, but instead, she pushes me away.

"I _don't_ need your help," she spoke as if she's in command. "I'm _fine._ My _eye_ is _fine_. I could still work in the condition I'm in."

Honestly, I can't stand her any longer. I'm done with her scolding me as if I'm dirt. I must speak my mind out to her this instant.

"NO YOUR NOT!" I shout at her, who flinches in surprise. Granted, I hadn't intended to shout like that. "You're not fine Courtney! Your eye is swollen and it'll get worse unless you treat it properly!"

"Even if I need help, which I don't need, why would I get help from you?"

"If this is about me being on a different team than that's ridiculous! I'm not trying to sabotage you or lead you into a false sense of security. Just because I'm on the other team doesn't mean I don't mean well. This isn't poison I have here in this bottle, you know."

"I said, I DON'T _NEED_ HELP! NO ONES HELP! I'M A CIT AND-"

 **"WILL YOU QUIT BEING SO ARROGANT AND JUST LISTEN TO REASON FOR ONCE!?"** I interrupt her mid-sentence and let out the loudest yell I could muster. It got her to shut up finally, which also got both teams watching us. I don't care if I'm the centre of attention now. Courtney needs help and I'm gonna give her help.

I took in a breath, calming down, before saying, "Look, I get that you take pride in being a CIT. You want to be a lawyer, you want to go into politics, but you gotta understand that no human being is perfect! We all need help at certain times in our lives. My life, your life, everyone's lives! Accepting help is not a sign of weakness, it shows that you're _human_. You gotta stop denying yourself that accepting help will ruin your image because it's not true."

I pause for a few seconds to get my breath and bearings back. I haven't shouted like this in a very long time, even if it was to reason with someone.

I really regret not speaking my mind out to Gwen about her being with Duncan.

"Now please, I don't wanna argue anymore. Take this, and use how much you need to fix your eye. Give it back to me once you're done," I grab her right hand and place the eye drops in her hand so she can use, before proceeding back to my team and to continue work.

My teammates are still looking at me funny, probably from my outburst just moments ago. I ignore them as I went back to hammering our tub's side.

* * *

 **Confessionals - Cody**

"I don't remember the last time I was in a huge argument," I sighed, rubbing my forehead in exhaustion. "I'm surprised over what transpired, heck, I'm even surprised at the way I scolded her," I paused before continuing. "I don't want Courtney to think that she's alone in this world. Did something happen to her then that made her the way she is now? Was it her family? Friends? I don't know. I just hope she'll think over what I said about accepting help."

 **Confessionals - Chris**

"Now that's what I like to see!" Chris grinned in his confession. "Drama. Huge ones! And it's only the first challenge. I can already taste the amount of ratings this episode will receive."

* * *

A little while later, our hot tub is complete, and it looks awesome! The Killer Bass, however… Their hot tub isn't even looking like a hot tub. I totally feel so sorry for them.

It's then that I notice Courtney and her eye looking less swollen. She must've taken the eye drops that I offered. I feel so relieved; I thought she wouldn't use it still.

It's judging time now and Chris was the judge. He went to our hot tub first.

He observes it for a little bit before declaring, "This is an awesome hot tub!"

We all cheer from the pass. Owen then pops out from the water all of a sudden. How did he even get in there without us realizing?

Chris then went to judge the Bass' tub. He looks at it for a moment before lightly tapping the frame with his left index finger. Long story short, it collapse just from the single tap.

"Well, I think we all know who the winner is," Chris says making it pretty obvious. "The Screaming Gophers!" We all cheer again in victory while the Bass sulks.

"Gopher's your safe from elimination tonight. And, you get to rock this awesome hot-tub for the rest of the summer. Bonus!" he tells us before turning to the other team. "Bass what can I say, sucks to be you right now. I'll see you all at the bonfire tonight."

Lindsay, Heather, and Beth cheered in victory. Owen began to dance a victory dance. It would look cool if he wasn't BUTT NAKED!

"We get to stay-ay, we get to stay-ay, we are so awesome, we won the contest," he cheers before hugging Heather and Lindsay. Both girls have petrified looks on their faces. I hate to be them now.

* * *

"I saw what you did during your little _break_."

Oh brother, I know that voice. I glance back to find Heather behind me with her arms crossed. Normally at this age, I'd be intimidated by her. But since I know what to expect from Heather, I manage to keep my cool.

"What did you see?" I ask trying to sound oblivious. Even though I already know she saw me earlier.

"Don't play dumb with me, geek. Your reel with that girl on the other team? Courtney?"

"Well, you weren't the only one who saw that. I was practically shouting at the top of my lungs. I had to get through with Courtney."

"Just cut the crap, will you? You were helping someone on the other team. The _other team_. Don't you realize that they're our enemies?"

"Hey don't say it like that. She may be on the other team, but I wasn't gonna ignore her suffering. Besides, we still won the challenge, and I still contributed to building our hot tub."

Heather continues to stare down at me for a few more seconds before sighing and saying, "Just don't help them _actually_ win a challenge, Nerd-linger. You're decent at this game for now. I'd hate to vote you off so early."

Phew, thank god she's not too mad at me. Heather walks past me and continues to the Mess Hall. I follow after but was oblivious to someone who was watching me with guilt.

* * *

 **Confessionals - Heather**

"Cody is okay, I suppose," she said while filing her nails. "But he has to understand that we're not here to make friends, we're here to win. If he can't realize that, then he's leaving this place."

 **Confessionals - Courtney**

Courtney was looking at the ground in guilt. "I don't know what to think anymore," she said nervously. "It… It really was nice of Cody to help me. I'm actually glad that he wasn't taking no for an answer, otherwise, I'd still be having my eye swollen," she pointed to her once swollen eye which was like good as new. "I have a reason why I don't take help, but… he's right though, we all need help at some point in our lives. At least… most people get them," she said feeling down, probably remembering something from her past. "Cody must hate me now for how I acted towards him though."

* * *

The Mess Hall is packed with both teams having our dinner. It looks like some kind of slime cooked up from a lab. God this food is just downright awful. I glance a peek at the Bass table who are currently discussing who to vote off. Duncan suggests either Courtney or DJ since they didn't jump.

Courtney went pale, realizing she's on the chopping block. She tries to save herself by reasoning how they need her CIT expertise, but now of her teammates are buying it.

"Well, who should be voted off then?" Duncan inquires.

Courtney begins looking around, trying to find another potential Bass member to leave. Her gaze eventually turns to Duncan, but then she grows a smile on her face. What is she planning?

"Well, if I remember correctly, I contributed into actually building a hot-tub in the first place, we would've ended up with a bunch of scraps if it weren't for me. Meanwhile, what did you do Duncan? I mean, aside from, you know, getting into a fight with Geoff over a hammer of course," she then points to my team. "Look at the other team, what got them through was trust and teamwork, something you lacked Duncan. Brute strength isn't the only thing we need. So maybe you should be voted off to make things easier for us in future challenges."

My eyes went wide after hearing her say all that. That must've been the most composed reasoning I ever heard from Courtney. What also shocks me is how the rest of the Bass seem to agree with her. This is actually exciting. If they agree with Courtney, then Duncan could potentially receive the boot tonight.

I also noticed Duncan freezing up. He lost his momentum before continuing. "Okay, you got a point princess, but we would've worked together a lot better if we'd hadn't been hauling crates across the beach, something I helped out a lot with, and something that was also your fault! Plus, you lack the skills of accepting help, something that we overheard from that 'talk' you had with the geek. Even I know you can't do things on your own forever," Duncan manage to defend himself. Something I wasn't hoping for. This made the teams go back looking unsure.

"I just don't get why we lost, eh. They're the ones that have six girls," and there's Ezekiel pulling the trigger. Just by his comment alone, he manages to grab the attention of both the Gophers' and the Bass'.

Bridgette and Eva were immediately on his case. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Bridgette interrogates looking really pissed.

"Yeah, homeschool! Lighten up! Eva yells as she bangs her fist on the table.

"Well, it's just, guys are much stronger and better than girls are," Ezekiel casually tells them, like it was no big deal.

Oh boy, this is not going well. Katie and Sadie were fuming, some of us backed away, I still looked on.

"Oh snap he did not just say that!" Geoff comments, not believing his ears. As sad as it is, none of us are hearing things.

"My dad told me to look out for the girls here, eh, and help 'em in case they can't keep up," Shut up 'Zeke! SHUT UP!

Furrowing her face, even more, Eva grabs the prairie boy by his neck and yells in his face, "Still think we need help?!"

"Not really."

Geoff then attempts to defend Zeke, to which I already knew it's worthless. "Guys, let's give him a break. I mean, at least he doesn't think that guys are smarter than girls."

"Well, they are aren't they?"

That comment alone's the breaking point. Eva drops Ezekiel before clobbering him. Harold, Bridgette, Courtney, Geoff and Tyler went and combine their forces together and manages to stops Eva from killing Ezekiel. She's furious alright.

"Just wait until the campfire ceremony you misogynist!" She screams in his face again.

"What's a misogynist?" he asks Geoff but didn't respond back for fear of Eva's wrath.

Honestly, I don't want to be here anymore. I stand up and exit the Mess Hall. There's nothing I could do for Ezekiel at this rate.

* * *

I arrive back in the cabin and simply laid on the top bunk that I choose. I stare at the ceiling while reminiscing about all that has happened today. From my arrival here to befriending all my friends again, to me suddenly jumping first, to my friendly chat with Bridgette and Geoff, to my surprise chat with Lindsay, and finally to my other 'chat' with Courtney.

You know, perhaps some music could lighten things up a bit. I get out my keyboard from my bag before I begin to silently play. Eventually, I find my groove and begin moving to my beats.

A few minutes past by before I hear some guitar chords ringing through the cabin. I glance at the source to find Trent with his guitar. When did he get here?

"Don't mind me, just preparing to jam with ya!" Trent grins at me. I grin back. This should be fun.

* * *

 **Confessionals - Trent**

"Cody's much better with the keyboard then what he told me earlier," Trent said in the confessional with a grin. "We played a few songs him and I that worked well together. I have a feeling in the future we'll become the camp's biggest jammers."

* * *

We played a few songs together before calling it a night. While packing, Trent asks me something looking rather serious. "You know, I saw you talking to Courtney during the hot tub challenge," he informs me.

"Yeah, I figured that everyone saw that. I mean, I was yelling at her to accept my help. You aren't upset at me are you?"

"Nah, I'm a little shocked at the way you were speaking, but I'm glad you managed to reason with Courtney in the end," he says. "And you're right. Everyone should accept help when offered. Look at me for example. If it weren't for my parents, I'd never become the musician I am now."

I decide to change the subject with him. I didn't feel like talking about Courtney right now. "You know, I have a feeling who's going home tonight," I tell him, referring to tonight's elimination ceremony.

"Yeah, same here. Ezekiel was digging up his own grave back there."

"To be honest, I was actually thinking of coming to Ezekiel's defence. I just didn't do it because…"

"Because of Eva?" Trent finishes for me.

"Yeah. With that anger and strength of her's, she looks to have the ability to kill someone in one swing."

"Totally," Trent nods.

"It's sad though, how he's leaving tonight. If I were in his shoes, I'd handle my elimination better since I've made some friends. You for example."

"But 'Zeke is leaving the island with no friends," Trent finishes for me, again. "Bummer really. He looks like a nice enough guy."

I simply nod at his statement.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Today was really crazy for me. I had an argument with Courtney when I was offering her help, and now Zeke's the running candidate for elimination," I spoke in the confessional feeling gloomy. But soon, I brightened up after getting an idea. "You know, maybe I could do something to cheer him up. Even if I hadn't talked to him today."

* * *

The sky has finally gone dark. Tonight's the night of the first elimination ceremony. All the Killer Bass are currently sitting on some tree stumps, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Meanwhile, the Screaming Gopher's are back at the campsite having their wild hot tub party.

All except for me.

I'm hiding behind a bush close enough to the bonfire area. I decided earlier to witness the first ceremony because of interest. It didn't seem like it, but there had been a lot of changes throughout the whole day. And perhaps tonight's elimination ceremony would go any differently than last time.

Chris then walks up to the campfire with a tray of marshmallows in his hands. "Killer Bass," he begins. "At camp, marshmallows represent a tasty treat that you enjoy roasting by the fire," he pauses for a moment before saying, "but at this camp, however, marshmallows represents life. When I call your name, come up and claim your marshmallow. The camper who does not receive a marshmallow tonight must immediately return to the Dock of Shame, to catch the Boat of Losers. That means that you are out of the contest. And you can't come back. _Ever_ ," He concludes. He says that now, but Eva And Izzy are gonna return right after the merge.

"The first marshmallow goes to… Geoff"

"...Tyler"

"...Katie"

"...Bridgette"

"...DJ" one change already. He wasn't in the bottom three this time.

"...Sadie"

"...Harold"

"...Eva"

And there's the change. Unlike last time, Duncan's in the bottom three, along with Courtney and Ezekiel. He's a likely candidate for elimination.

Chris remains silent for another few seconds before saying…

"...Duncan" I mentally groan feeling frustrated. I knew this was too good to be true. Now I already know who's going to get the boot.

"Campers, this is the final marshmallow of the evening," he presents the treat to the campers. "and the final marshmallow of the night… goes to…"

The biggest moment of the ceremony has begun. The moment where we find out who gets booted off. Who's it gonna be? Courtney for the way she leaded her team and how she acted? Ezekiel for his sexist comments? I patiently wait in my hiding spot for the announcement. And it's…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...

…

…

…

…

…

…

...

…

…

…

…

…

…

...

...Courtney!"

And just like the first time Ezekiel is the first to be voted off. Courtney sighs in relief as she ran to grab her marshmallow. Ezekiel, however, sat there looking sad and humiliated.

"Can't say I'm shocked, I saw you picking your nose. Not cool dude," that's more important than his sexist comments? "Dock of shame awaits you," and that was it. Ezekiel begins to make his way towards the dock. It's finally time to play my part. I quietly sneak out of my hiding spot and quickly make my way towards the docks.

I manage to catch up with Ezekiel before he steps onto the boat. I call out to him saying, "Hey, hold up!"

Ezekiel turns around and faces me. "Oh hey… um, you're Cody right eh?"

"Yeah, I am," I nod, stopping in front of him. "I had a feeling that you were gonna be eliminated tonight, so I waited to see if you were coming so I can tell you something."

"Oh," he says.

"Look, I know we haven't talked today. We don't really know each other well, but I know what you're feeling right now," I tell him as I place my left hand on his right shoulder. "Don't go thinking that the world is now against you after what you said. It was just a mistake and you didn't know. And if you want, I could be your friend when this contest is over."

"Really?" he says looking surprised.

"Sure. I'm a nice guy, and I don't hold a grudge on those who make mistakes," at saying that, he looked down again. Seem like I reminded him of his mistake. "Hey, man, I know what you said wasn't right, but nobody here hates you for it. It's not like your team thinks that you're a horrible person, their just mad at you. Next time the competition starts up, you could change that if you do well," he lifts his head back up and looks at me, nodding and understanding my words.

"I wish I could stay longer, but my team's probably wondering where I am. I hope you take care of yourself. Try to get out more and socialize with other people. Do it often, then you'll be able to learn to fit into our civilization. It'll work out next time."

Ezekiel stood there for a moment before forming a small smile on his face.

"Thanks, eh."

And with that, he got onto the boat and gets taken away from the island, heading for Playa des Losers.

* * *

The rest of the night went pretty well for me. Just as I suspected, my teammates asked me where I was. I told them that I took a stroll along the beaches just to have some me time. I joined the party and it lasted up until midnight. By then we were all very tired and ready to hit the hay. I shared a bunk with Trent; he took the bottom while I took the top.

It was a crazy first day that's for sure, I had an argument with Courtney when trying to help her, and I started to slowly befriend Ezekiel. It's too bad he's voted off already though. But at least I get to hang with Trent, Owen, and Noah once again.

I still have no idea how I'm back here on Total Drama. Why am I here again? How did I even got here in the first place?

Man, these questions in my head are just making me even more tired. With that, I went to sleep and went into my dreamland.


	5. Chapter 4 - Emotions and a helpful girl

It was morning time, our first day-off-from-a-challenge day. The beds were just as uncomfortable to sleep on as I remembered. I glanced at my small digital clock to check the time. 9:30 in the morning it reads. Time to start the day I suppose.

I threw off my blanket to come across a surprise. I was wearing my clothes rather than my pajamas.

Strange, I could've swear that I've changed into my pajamas after the hot tub party last night. Did someone change me during my sleep? No way that can't be true. No one in there right mind would change me while I'm asleep, not even Chris.

Whatever, this isn't something to be seriously on about. Anyways, I got out of bed to notice that I'm the only one in the cabin. The others must be in the Mess Hall having breakfast, or hanging around camp. Today could be a good opportunity for me to socialize with the others, especially Courtney.

Wait, did I just thought 'especially Courtney'? She yelled at me when I was trying to offer her my help yesterday. Granted, I did yell back at her, but only to jog here head with some appropriate advice. I don't want to hang out with her. I'll just chat with some members on my team today, except Heather.

I held my toothbrush and toothpaste made my way to the bathrooms but was greeted with another weird thing. It was actually evening.

How can I tell? The sun's lowering in the West and the sky is a reddish-orange colour, evening colour.

This can't be right, I was sure that it was morning. I couldn't have been that tired last night. Was I? No, I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Maybe I should ask someone what's going on. Yeah, that could work, ask someone who'd seen this already.

I walked around the camp to find someone, but I couldn't come across a single camper nor Chris. I check in both cabins, the bathrooms, the Mess Hall, the docks, even Chris's trailer. No one is around.

"Hello?! Anyone here?!" I called out, only to receive an echo in the air. I tried again, "Hey! Anyone?!" I was starting to get a little annoyed at this, and also a little frightened. Why am I suddenly alone? It hasn't even been a week yet and there's already a huge problem for me to figure out.

"Dammit, where the heck is everyone?" I asked myself, frowning. I looked around a few more times until I spotted some silhouette of a human at the beach. It had to be someone; I began to run to that person in question. Thank god I wasn't alone after all. However, as I got closer him, my eyes widened in surprise yet again.

It was me!

I'm looking at myself, sitting on the beach and looking out at the lake. What's going on? Seriously.

Curiosity getting the better of me, again, I tried to ask… well, me… what's happening, "Hey, um, do you know what's going on?" He didn't respond. I walked closer to me and spoke louder, "Hey! Can you hear me?" I spoke louder. I tried to get the other me his attention by grabbing his shoulder.

Only for it to fade through his body.

Well that's strange. Not only my other self isn't hearing me, but he's also a ghost? I then noticed something else in front of the other me.

It was a heart, with the words "Gwen + Cody" emblazoned inside. Other me looks to be finishing the last curve of the heart with a sad sigh.

Hold on, I remember this moment, this was after the Boney Island challenge. The same challenge where I hooked Gwen up with Trent. I remember it now, even after I hooked them up, I was still feeling down that Gwen wasn't into me. This lead me to being alone before the elimination ceremony and made this heart in the sand with "Gwen + Cody" written inside. It wasn't part of the aired episode since no cameras were around me at the time.

"Why won't you like me Gwen?" The other me asked himself. He continued to stare in sadness into the horizon. A wave came up and washed away his heart away. That was rather a good act to sum up my old situation.

I looked out at the lake like my other self, only to find a dark sky forming on the horizon.

The dark sky spreaded quickly, and after a few seconds, it was over us. It wasn't just the dark sky, but the rest of the island seem to lose its brightness. I glanced back to the other me, only to find that he's fading away.

"Wha-?!" I stuttered.

"She's mine pipsqueak.," Oh no, I know that voice. I glanced back behind me to find... Duncan standing tall over me! "Why would Gwen, or any girl for that matter, be with a pipsqueak like you?" He laughed evilly with a malice grin on his face.

I'm starting to feel scared now. What's going on!?

 **SLAP!**

My thoughts were then interrupted by a slap to my cheek, and I was now falling down a black abyss. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I fell to who knows where..

"Hola mi amigo…" Oh no, not him again. I couldn't see his face, but his voice is all around me, "Such a sad pathetic little fool. Such a pervert for Gwen and all the girls. No one likes you, everyone hates you!"

NO! That's not true! I do have friends! It's just that Latin jerk being a Jerk! I can't listen to him any longer. I can't!

My falling slowed down and halted. I touched the ground and looked around to see where I am.

"BOOOHHOOHOOHHO! WAAAAAHH!" Now I'm hearing a girl having a crying hysterically. Nervous, I tried to find the source of whoever's crying.

"YOU DAMN **JERK!** " I found Courtney on her hands and knees, crying, forming puddles of tears, "You say you're a sweet and lovable guy! Yet you ignore me when I'm a WRECK!? TRYING TO STILL HOOK UP WITH THAT GOTH BITCH THAT STOLE MY BOYFRIEND!? THE SAME ONE THAT NEVER GAVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT!?" she shouted at me, and I was frightened as hell.

Suddenly, the lights turned on. I found myself in some white room with thousands of people I don't know standing around me and Courtney in a circle. They're glaring at with angry looks, as if I've done something wrong.

" **YOU SHOULD'VE HELP HER THEN!** " they all shouted, " **YOU COULD'VE MADE HER FEEL BETTER!** "

I don't know what to do, what to say, when suddenly, " **JERK!** " I was punched in the face by the CiT.

I hit the floor again, again finding myself in some dark abyss. I got up to see a long staircase in front of me. What the hell is going on? That question all I could think of as I trekked my way up the stairs. Then it got worse as the stairs began to collapse behind. I'm in deep trouble now. I began to run as fast as my legs can carry up the stairs, trying to keep myself from falling.

But that wasn't the worst part. I began to hear laughter, not bright and happy laughter, but the evil and mea-pointing laughter. On both sides are all the TD contestants I got to know.

Beth, DJ, Owen, Trent, Noah, Lindsay, Bridgette, Geoff, Ezekiel, Tyler, Eva, Izzy, Katie, Sadie, Justin, Harold, Leshawna, Heather…

And the worst one ever, that goddamn sadistic evil person of a host. All of which were pointing and laughing at me.

I can't stand to hear this. I try to shut my ears with my hands to cancel out the sound, but it didn't help one bit. Tears began to flow out of my eyes as I continued to run up the stairs, with it still collapsing behind me.

After what felt like years, the laughing stopped, and I made it to the top. I let out a sigh of relief knowing that it's over. I still have tears in my eyes, though. Please, I just want to be done with this!

But then I felt another presence in front of me. It was Gwen, and she was sitting with her back facing me.

I hate having curiosity get the best of me, because I began to walk up to her slowly.

"Gwen?" I asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

She stood up after I said the latter. It looks she's holding something in her right hand. I took one more small step to her and-

" **GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU PERV!** " I found myself pushed down to the ground again, feeling some stinging sensation on my cheek.

I brought my hand to my cheek, only to see blood on my hands.

...blood?! BLOOD?!

"W-w-wha…?" I let tears cascade down my face, as I realized what just happened.

Gwen, sliced my right cheek with a knife in her hand. Gwen did this to me. I don't believe it. The girl I had a crush for the longest time on Total Drama hurt me. Physically.

Seeing as I'm all alone again, I laid down and cried softly. It was just me here in this dark abyss. Gwen's gone, everyone has turned on me, they all hated me now. I'm truly all alone.

" _...you're not alone my love…_ " what? Who's there this time, " _... i'll take care of you… my… sweet… little… codykins…_ "

Codykins? No… Oh no! It can't be her now! It-

" **CODY!** " words cannot describe how scared I was now. The stalker, my stalker of my nightmares, appeared right in my face out of nowhere, grinning like a wild maniac with her sharp teeths.

" **COME TO MAMA! CODYKINS!** " She lunged at my face!

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

"GAH!" And then I woke up!

What the fuck was that?! I looked around rapidly to find that I'm back in my cabin. The horrid feeling in my chest began to slowly leave. I sighed relief, and saw that it was 3:44 in the morning.

" _It was just a dream,_ " I thought, " _but it felt so real._ "

I reached up to my face to find that my cheek is still perfectly intact, but wet also. Tears? Was I crying just now?

I was. I was crying. As embarrassing as it sounds… I don't feel alright.

I looked down at my hands and saw that they were shaking as if I had parkinson disease.

All of this feels… wrong! The cabin, the island, everyone I'm around… all of it!

I jumped off my bed and rushed out the cabin and into the outside world. The moon was shining high in the sky, no clouds were floating above me. I ran while more tears cascaded down my cheek.

* * *

I sat behind the communal bathrooms hugging my knees as tight as I can. It was the first place I could think of without getting too far away from camp. It felt like I was in a nearly catatonic state as many horrible thoughts ran through my head.

That has got to be the worst nightmare I ever experienced. I can't remember the last time I had a horrible dream like that. What's worse is that I don't think I'm able to change the majority of it for the better. I went back in time with so much info of what's going to happen to all the contestants, and yet I can't tell them since it would most likely cause trouble for myself.

They all must know this, how Heather is going to make Gwen's life miserable by breaking her up with Trent, Duncan and Gwen cheating behind Courtney's back, the jerk face latin that'll attempt to make their life even worse, all the horrid treatment that jerk host Chris will give us…

And they going to do it, all for some freaking money. MONEY! The same goddamn money that most of the winners don't even get to keep. All they care in this competition is proving themselves to be the best and to win. I know that none of them care for the friends they have. Okay, maybe some of them care for their friends, but only a minority of them.

I glanced up to the night sky to find the moon still hanging, shining in its enchanting glory, providing its natural light around the island. It relaxes me sometimes whenever I look to the moon. It helps calms my nerves down since it looks pretty. I was never more thankful for something in my life.

"Colby?" I flinch hearing someone calling for me in a whisper. I turned to look to see who's there, and to my surprise it was Lindsay, "Are, you alright?"

I was caught of guard again for I wasn't expecting someone to be out of bed in the middle of the night, seeing if I'm alright. Especially Lindsay for that matter. She's one of the last few campers that I'd expected to see. I glanced at Lindsay before noticing her pajama she's wearing.

It was made up of two pieces, both of which are purple. She had a tube top with thin strings that were partially off her shouldersand openings for the arms that were likely close to double the needed size for her arms to fit through. Her pajama shorts were much shorter than expected, and only ended far above her knees. She wasn't wearing her blue bandana though.

" _Clean thoughts Cody,_ " I thought to myself, " _You're not going to act like a pervert around these girls anymore._ " I had to give credit to her pajamas, though. It got my mind off of things before she arrived.

"Lindsay? W-what are you doing here?" I asked her, regaining my composure.

"I heard something coming from outside. I was, like, a little scared so I went to peek. Then I heard some sniffing sound, so I went to see what it was. Then I found you. Are you, like, crying?"

If this happened the first time, I would've try lying to remain cool as the 'Codmeister'. That was then though, "Yeah I'm crying. I had this horrible nightmare that scared me to hell, I felt traumatic afterwards."

"Tra-ma-tic?"

"It means I'm emotionally disturbed."

"Oooohhh that's what it means. You know, I was, like, disturbed from my own bad dreams. This one night I dreamt that I ran out of all my makeup that I had and couldn't buy them anymore. Or this one dream where my most favourite singer never exist, and I could never listen to her music ever again. That really scared me so much."

I'm thankful for her attempts to make me feel better but her dreams are nothing compared to what I had to go through.

I feel really tempted to tell Lindsay everything from beginning to end. How I'm a time traveller (I think), how Heather plans on using her to win the competition, how she'll fall for Alejandro and become one of his pawns for a few episodes, how god awful this show is going to be, that Chris is actually evil…

...but I just can't. Even I know Lindsay won't believe, no matter how much of a bubblehead she is. She'll think I'm crazy.

"I doubt that you're dreams are as horrible as mine was. You never had to go through what I gotta go through all my life."

" _And what I'm about to go through again,_ " I thought that last part in my mind.

"What do you mean? What do you have to go through Colby?"

She really wants to know? Okay then, I'll tell her then.

"Let me answer that question with a question. Why would you even care about me and how I'm feeling? We barely know each other and I only spoke with you only once."

She didn't think hard on an answer and replied in just few seconds, "What do you mean by that? You seem like a very nice guy Colby. Terrence likes you too, I saw you two talking together as good friends. Also, you did, like, help that other girl with her pink eye problem that was hurting her."

"True, but I had to yell at her to get my info through Courtney's head. I even sweared in my outburst."

"I guess, but you wouldn't take no for an answer, and she, like, really needed some help. But most importantly, you said that you would help me remember everyone's names here."

Oh man, I actually forgot that I'd help her remember everyone's names here. And when I offer my help, I never stop myself until I truly helped them.

"Right, yeah I remember that," I lied since I didn't want to make her upset, "...but there still some stuff that doesn't really make sense."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I'm not trying to stereotype you or anything bad, but you wouldn't seem like a girl who would talk or hangout out with a geek like me. Girls like you would, well, go for the more sportier guys and the jocks and ignore me. It's like this everywhere, like back in my school."

Lindsay made a confused look. She isn't understanding what I'm talking about. I'm not surprised by it, she's always nice and ignorant that she doesn't realize how much suffering the geeks and nerds are going through.

"It's like a food chain. Girls such as yourself would be at top of the food chain, and they go for the boys that also hover around the top. These guys include, athletes, muscle man, jocks, and others like that. Me on the other hand, I'd be at the bottom of the chain, since I'm a geek. I'm constantly ridiculed for being really smart and nerdy about technology, movies, tv, books, and cartoons, so it make sense that I wouldn't get the popular girls' attention."

Her expression began to change to a shocked look.

"That's not the end though. There are times when a popular hot girl were to date a geek or nerd. But when the boys at the top finds out, they feels disgusted. They not only think it's wrong, but they also treat it that it sends a wrong message. What would it say that a nerd would get a hottie that's way to above him? That nerds and geeks can outdo those that refer to themselves as actual men? They'll do anything to punish the geek who attempts to get a hottie for themselves."

"P-punish?" Lindsay stuttered at that part.

"Yeah, by punished, I mean getting your head dunked in a toilet, giving the geeks wedgies in front of everyone, or even get beaten up," I really mean that last part.

It's been a long time since attended high school. During my time in my old high school, I've seen the stronger male students beat up the nerds and geeks. I got my shares of beatings and name teases from the jocks and sportier guys then, but if I managed to endure it for eleven years, I'm sure I could endure it longer.

Let's not forget though how much Duncan bullies Harold during Total Drama just for being a nerd. Heck, even Geoff and DJ joined in on the fun since they're his friends. I'm not saying that Geoff and DJ are bad people, but they might think they were just harmless pranks they performed on Harold.

As for the geeks attempting to date the hotties, I fell under that category. I was trying to get Gwen to notice me and go out with me then since I liked her both physically and personality wise. Though he never gave me a chance since she went for Trent, who I set her up with, and then Duncan. Why them? Because Trent is far more of a better person than I'll ever be, As for Duncan, he a 'bad' boy and a hottie, despite his rebel attitude.

By now Lindsay's facial expression changed from confusion, to surprised, to horrified. I know she's not the brightest person around, but I can tell that she's able to process everything I said.

After for about a few seconds of silence, Lindsay spoke in astonishment, "Ba-but-but…that's, like, like, so wrong!"

"It may sound wrong, but that's just the way the circle of life works for stereotypes." I answered matter-a-factly.

We live in a generation where everyone takes stereotypes more seriously than before. One small mistakea geek makes, and they'll be plummeted by the jocks.

"To be honest, I thought you'd would fall under that category too."

"W-what do you mean?" she asked still horrified.

"Well, remember the cockroach problem in the cabin yesterday?"

"You mean that scary bug David sliced?"

"His name is Duncan, but yeah him. Tyler came up to you afterwards saying, as quoted: 'If you ever see one of those things again, just call me and I'll get rid of it for you'. You blushed and became drawn to him," Huh, I was able to remember his entire sentence, "Duncan even mentioned that girls like you would always go for jocks like him. And I don't disagree with him, he may be a punk, but what he says is true."

Lindsay went back to thinking about the events that played back yesterday before asking, "Um, who's Tyler again?"

"You know, that jock in the red tracksuit. He has brown hair and is on the other team."

"You mean Tyson?"

"His real name is actually Tyler, Lindsay."

"Ooooohhh now I remember him, it really was nice of him to help me with anymore problems with bugs," I'd figured she would remember him again and fall for him. I know Tyler isn't a bad person, but Tylsay's probably one of the strongest hookups in Total Drama, "but if I'm, like, really honest, I think I like hanging out with you more than him."

What?

Did she say she prefers to hang out with me more than him?

"Really? Why?"

"I dunno. I think it was after you to that jump yesterday and you saying you'll help me remember everyone's names. Taylor didn't talk to me for the rest of the day, he just spoke that one sentence and, like, that's it."

She does have a point. But still I find this all hard to believe. She couldn't possibly think more of me then of him.

"Well, anyone could have made that random jump."

"But _you_ did! No one else did. And also, after you jumped, it made me feel, like, more braver to jump too," wasn't she pushed by Chris though? "And also, your jump looked really cool and amazing. I even said that in one of my confessions yesterday."

Does she really mean that? Did she really think that I'm cool? Even if I'm still a geek?

"Do you, really mean all that?" I asked.

"Of course. I really mean what I said. You don't look like a bad person Cody. I know I may have known you for only a day, but even I know that you shouldn't be alone forever. I really would like to be friends with you Cody."

...What? Did she just say that? Does she really want to be my friend for real?

Hold on. I just recognized something. She said my name correctly!"

"My name."

"What about it?"

"You remember my name!"

"Oh… my… gosh! YAY! I remember your name! Cody, Cody, Cody, Cody!"

"SHHH!" I placed my hand on her mouth, "Not so loud, you'll wake up the entire camp!" As much as I'm happy she remembered my name without practice, I don't want everyone else to wake up.

"Oh, sorry." she apologized sheepishly.

We stayed quiet for a few moments before I started talking again, "Lindsay, do you really want to become friends with me?"

"Like, really Cody. I know I do," and with that she pulled me into a hug.

As she held onto me, my mood began to change. I was feeling happy for the first time since returning to this island. My mind was set upon the breathtaking sweet and pretty girl thar was currently holding me in her arms, who has done more for me in the past few minutes than anyone else on this show. My trauma from my horrible nightmare has vanished, all thanks to Lindsay.

" _You know, maybe this won't be such a bad thing after all,_ " I said in my mind.

I let out a yawn, reminding me to go back to sleep.

"Are you okay Cody?" Lindsay asked me hearing my yawn. She released her hug and look at me.

"Yeah, just tired is all. I need to go back to bed now."

"Yeah, me too," she let out her own yawn, and boy was it cute, "I'll look ugly if I don't get any sleep. How long have we've been talking for?"

"It felt like… half an hour or something like that?"

"Wow, it felt more shorter than what I thought."

"Yeah, it tends to feel that way when you talk for a while."

I stood back up on my feet, ready to head back to bed. Lindsay followed me. We walked quietly back to the cabins without saying anything, since we were both feeling very tired from our conversation. We got back to our cabin and we said our goodnights before parting.

"Night Lindsay, hope you sleep well for tomorrow."

"Goodnight Cody."

I turned away and quietly got back into bed. It looks like that things are shaping up for the better now, rather then the bad. I actually befriended Lindsay, and I suppose I'm friends with Trent as well. Ezekiel's also a likely candidate to becoming a friend of mine too.

I have all of tomorrow to think on it so I might as well wait and see what tomorrow brings me. Good thing that tomorrow is our first free day off.

* * *

I was feeling much better when I woke up. Granted, I slept in a bit late and missed breakfast. But I rather starve than eat any of Chef's disgusting food.

I did my usual morning routine. I took my morning shower, brushed my teeth, put deodorant on my armpits, and went about it for the rest of the day.

It was the afternoon now, and I was conversing with Trent in our cabin. We discussed our similar likes and passion. Currently, he's telling me how he got into his love for music.

"The first time I tried out a guitar was when I was seven. I was at the mall with my Mom and Dad and we were passing by a music store with many instruments. I was curious to check it out, so they took me into thestore. I was really amazed with all the instruments that I saw. The guitars however were what gained my attention the most."

"Let me guess," I chuckled, "You wanted to try playing it and were amazed with how it worked and sounded right?"

"Yep. I didn't buy it yet since me and my parents weren't shopping for instruments to begin with. But when we got home, I began to watch video after video of different musicians playing with a guitar. I even mimiced myself playing them a lot of the time."

"So when did you got your guitar anyway?"

"I got it on the day of my ninth birthday. My grandfather gave it to me, along with another present. I loved the guitar so much. All of my free time was devoted to my guitar practices and to become an excellent musician. What about you? How did you get into the keyboard?"

"Well I wouldn't say that playing the keyboard isn't my lifelong dream. I just wanted to find myself a hobby, so I thought of trying out the keyboard After few tries, I got hooked into it. My real goal in life however is to become a computer software programmer."

Just then, Owen walked into the cabin. He must be waiting for something.

"Hey guys," Owen said to us.

"Hey Owen. What're you walking around for?" Trent asked.

"I'm waiting to start the next challenge today, it's why I got up earlier. I'm so psyched!" he pumped his fist up into the air.

"But Owen, there isn't a challenge today," I corrected him.

"There isn't?"

"He's right. Chris mentioned that during breakfast," Trent explained.

"Oh, guess I wasn't paying much attention," Owen realized his mistake.

"You seem to be awfully excited to participate in these challenges. Don't they seem crazy to you?" I asked Owen.

"I like them. They really fun, and I like doing it with other people, especially guys," After hearing that last part, Trent and I gave him an awkward stare. Owen again realizing his mistake tried to correct us. "I mean, not like that, you know? Girls are cool. They're the best things ever, well, except for boys. Wait no!" He continued to ramble trying to make sense of his words. Me and Trent decided to walk away, unnoticed.

"Say Cody, I don't mean it in a bad way, but do you think Owen is… you know," I get what Trent is saying.

"Nah, I doubt it. He just seems to have a problem with explaining things in the wrong fashion and sense. You saw he was trying to correct himself earlier right?" I answered back.

"Yeah I guess you're right." he agreed.

"Hi Terence. Hi Cody!" We looked to see who was calling us, and sure enough it was Lindsay.

"It's Trent, Lindsay," he corrected her. Gonna take more than that for her to remember your name.

"Is it okay if I talk with Cody please? He needs to help me with something."

I already know what Lindsay wants from me. I promised her that I'll help her out.

"If you want someone to talk to Trent, Gwen might be around."

"Um, sure, I'll see you later then." he turned around and walked off to see Gwen.

* * *

 **Confessional - Trent**

"I see where this is going," Trent said with a mischievous grin, "Cody you sly dog."

* * *

Lindsay and I sat down on some stumps at the bonfire area. We began her 'remembering-the campers-names' lesson.

...yeah, should probably work on that title.

"Okay, so to start, do you remember any of the campers here?" I asked.

"Your name is Cody right?"

"Yep."

"And I'm Lindsay."

"I gathered that already." I chuckled.

"And… there's Tayson."

"Can you describe this Tayson?" I figured it be best for her to describe those she got wrong through appearance would work to some extent.

"He's on the other team, and has a red suit and a headband."

"That's Tyler."

"Tyler?"

"Yes, his name is Tyler, the guy you just describe."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Who else do you remember?"

"There's a Hannah."

"Hannah?"

"She has, like, long black hair, and an orange tube top."

"You mean Heather right?"

"Yes, Han… I mean, Heather."

"Good. Now try again.

"Um… Heather?"

"See now you're getting it."

We touched on a few more names for the lesson. It's, erm, sort of going well. She managed to get Heather's name alright. We also touched on Beth's name, and she seems to get it in her brain. I decided to bring up Trent and Gwen as well, she needs work on there names more though. For some reason she still having it tough remembering Tyler's name.

"Alright, let's try something different. Try remembering the host of this show we're on."

"Um… Chip?"

"Close enough I guess, but his real name is Chris."

"Chris?"

"Yeah. Now I want you to tell me who he is. Describe him."

"Well, he seems to, like, act mean to us, and also he's making us sleep in these horrible cabins, and to shower in the awful bathrooms. Is that it?"

"Pretty much his personality from within. Now what is the name of the person you described?"

"Hmmmm… Chris?" she got it!

"You got it Lindsay! You did it!"

"I did?! I remembered everyone's names?!" she asked excitedly.

"Not everyone's, but you're off to a decent start. You remember Heather's name, Beth, Tyler's I think, and also Chris. I feel that's pretty good for our first day."

"Yay! I'm learning!" she beamed in happiness, "Thank you so much Cody!"

"Well I promised you I'll help," I said feeling a bit gushed from Lindsay, "If we continue this forward, you'll know everyone's names by the time this show ends."

"That's so sweet of you to say. I can't wait for it to happen!"

Me seeing Lindsay this happy really boosted my optimistic personality. In fact, I don't remember the last time I felt this optimistic when I first came to Total Drama the first time. I was always using this optimistic personality to move forward and the show drained a lot of it, when I was on, making me more of a realist person. No optimism was in me when I returned back to this wretched place, not even my friend Trent raise my mood so much.

But after last night's chat with Lindsay, and me tutoring her just now, I couldn't help but realize that I felt much more better now. True, nothing more happened besides that one hug and these basic chats. But still, I feel noticeably more better than when this show began.

"Cody? Are you there?" I heard Lindsay.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Huh? Oh Lindsay. Sorry, I was deep in thought," I acknowledged. She looked at me confused, "It means I've been thinking on a few big things."

"Really? Is it anything… bad?" she asked worried.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just something I realized. It's not that important."

"Oh, okay," she then looked at the sky, "I think it's getting late. It feels like we just started talking in the morning."

"Actually, we've been talking since around mid afternoon. But these chat's tend to last long without us realizing," I explained.

"Wow, that's really weird."

"Also we ought to head to the Mess Hall, dinner is about to start soon I think."

"Okay then!" She and I stood back up and we headed off to the Mess Hall where everyone else was.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I'm so glad to have bonded with Lindsay like that. She's such a kind girl with a good heart, holding no ill feelings to any of her castmates. At least I think," I made my confession, listing off my points on Lindsay, "I have a feeling that she's into being friends with Heather, which worries me since Heather doesn't look trustworthy. She seems to be the type of girl who only cares to win and lack any care for others," I stopped as I thought a few possibilities on what Heather might, possibly do to Lindsay, "but still, it's feels really nice hanging with her. I hope we get to do this much more."

* * *

Dinner has ended a while ago, and I was getting ready for tomorrow's challenge. I know what I'm getting myself into, so I want to make sure I have enough rest for tomorrow.

I observed some of the campers in the Mess Hall, since I wanted to be on my A game this time around. I observed Duncan for a bit, but even though I hate him and want to eliminate him off, he's not the main person to be truly worried about. I'll know he'll do horrible things, but that was in later seasons, not this one.

The main person that I really need to be cautious about is Heather. She's very intelligent and manipulative, and could easily make anyone work for her or believe her. In fact, she could possibly make a sneaky plan to eliminate ME off the show. So I need to watch my back for her.

Anyway, I'm safe for now, so I'll drop my watch for now. At the moment I need to get as much energy for tomorrow's big and gruelling challenge.

* * *

 **This chapter was much longer than I originally thought it is. But nonetheless, it would seem that Cody and Lindsay have become good friends, and are already bonding. Do I see something happening between the two in the future? I wonder how Tyler will feel that Lindsay's paying more attention to Cody then she is to him.**

 **Anyway, here's chapter four. I haven't said this yet, but I would very much like to have any sort of criticism in the comments if there's anything for me to improve on. Give me suggestions for future chapters to please. I still have yet to figure how the story will go later on.**

 **Comment your criticism and/or ideas, and I'll see you later.**


	6. Chapter 5 - The Awake-a-thon Part 1

"GAAAHH!"

I woke up the next day with a sudden jolt. No, it wasn't because of a nightmare, it was the blaring sound of an air horn combined with a loudspeaker. Luckily for me, I decided to go to bed earlier last night. I feel a lot more rested.

My digital clock says that it's exactly 7:00 in the morning. That was the time I get up to get ready for work. My cabinmates groaned.

"Mornin' guys," I said with an optimistic tone, "Rise and shine for today's day."

"Guhhhh, I need my beauty sleep, what time is it?" Justin complained and asked.

I told them it was seven. They didn't take it well.

"Man, I don't even get up THIS early for school," Trent said.

"Me too," Owen added.

"Well, if it makes you feel better Owen, it's a challenge day today," I reassured him.

"WOOHOO!" now he's pumped up.

"Hold on, how do you know today's a challenge day?" Noah asked me. Crap, I forgot that I had knowledge of the future. Quickly Cody, make up an excuse on the spot.

"Well, why else would Chris wake us up this early? Besides, we already had a free day yesterday," hope they bought it.

"Makes sense I guess," Trent said. Good, they bought it.

"Challenge time, campers! Everyone get dressed and be ready for an incredibly grueling challenge," We followed Chris's instructions as we all quickly got dressed and met the other tired campers outside.

"Hey Cody, you don't seem as tired as the rest of us. How come?" Trent asked me when we arrived.

"I went to bed earlier yesterday. I had a feeling in my gut saying that this challenge would require all my energy." I answered.

"Really. So you from the future or something?" Crap! I said too much! Now he's suspecting something. But instead, he laughed, "I'm just messing with you."

"Oh, heh heh, okay." Phew, dodged another bullet there.

I saw Eva standing with her MP3 player as it played her music. I tried holding it the first time, and almost got killed doing it. She's still probably peeved by Ezekiel's sexist comments from the day before yesterday.

"Good morning campers!" Chris greeted us, not looking one bit tired, "I hope you all slept well."

"Hey, Chris. You look really buffed in those shorts," Heather told him sarcastically.

"I know," Chris seemed oblivious to the sarcasm though, "I hope all of you are ready because your next challenge begins in exactly one minute."

"Uhh excuse me, I don't think that's enough time to have breakfast," Owen said.

"Oh don't worry you'll get breakfast. Right after you finish your 20K run around the island," and thus, we all groaned at the info.

"Oh, so you're you're funny now?" An enraged Eva asked. "You know what I think would be funny?" She extended her fist to punch the host, but Geoff and Duncan manage to hold her back. She's definitely still mad over Ezekiel's comments.

"Eva! You need to stay calm," Courtney assured her.

After calming down, said raging girl said, "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"A little," the host grinned, "You all have thirty seconds."

We all made our way to our starting positions to prepare for the run.

* * *

 **Confessional - Courtney**

"Okay, that girl, Eva, has to get a handle on her temper," Courtney groans as she began to list with her fingers, "She's only been here a day and she's already thrown her suitcase out a window and broke the lock on one of the bathrooms doors." She says as she puts her head in her hands. "Why do I have to be on a team like this?!"

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Seeing Eva as she is now, she's more antagonizing then I would've originally thought," I spoke my mind, "I wonder if this has anything to do with what Ezekiel said after the hot tub challenge," I recalled for a second, "Still, if she continues to act like this, it'll come back to bite her."

* * *

"Okay runners," Chris said, "On your marks, get set, GO!" And thus, we began our run.

We ran for a little while and found ourselves running through the forest. Some of us were running, jogging, or lazily walking (Noah). Since I needed enough energy for later, I decided to jock at a slow pace. I don't want to look suspicious after what transpired with Trent this morning.

"Hey Cody," oh man. I know that voice. It's the narcissistic CIT of the other team. I turned around to see her jogging up to me. After what transpired on day one, she's not on my 'nice' list right now.

"Yes, Courtney?" I asked her with a frown of my own.

"Look, don't make this harder for me than it already is," she stopped in front of me, "look, I know we went off the wrong hook at first."

"You got that right," I snorted.

"Hey, you were yelling at me too you know. You even swore right in my face," Don't remind me, please.

"Only so I could get my message through to you," I explained, "I'll admit, the swearing part was random for me as well."

"Well, ya, but… I wanted to thank you though."

"Thank me?" I asked with my left eyebrow raised.

"For giving me those eye drops… they really helped," Courtney said slowly, "If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't even have a hot-tub for judging so uh… thanks," Wow. I'm rather surprised. She's actually thanking me for helping her. I thought she would ignore me for the rest of the summer, "And… sorry that I snapped at you like that. I wasn't having a good day and I was worried about getting voted off. So yeah... can you forgive me?"

I don't know how to reply to that, but she does sound sincere though, "I… I guess I can forgive you," I replied slowly, "And, I guess I should apologize to you for yelling like I did, and, swearing at your face."

"Well, I did kind of needed that. Otherwise, I would still have that pink eye you know."

We stood there awkwardly together, not knowing what else to say to one another. Getting an apology from Courtney? That really caught me off guard. Back when I was with her during World Tour, she was trying to prove that she was in the right and not in the wrong. But now she's admitting to me her mistake.

"What are you two still standing around for?" Our silence was broken from Chris's voice, as he drove past us in his RV, "Get back to running you two," he yelled into his megaphone, "If you're not back by dinner time, you don't eat."

"Don't you mean breakfast? It's still morning," I asked.

"Whatever, just get back to running," and he drove away.

"We'll continue talking later Cody. I need to get back to my team," she said before running past and ahead of me.

"Well, back to the challenge," I told myself as I went back to jogging too.

* * *

I, along with many of the other campers here, finished my run and is currently sitting in the Mess Hall, waiting for the others to finish. Only Owen, Noah, Heather, and Harold have yet to arrive. Both teams were currently mingled together in one large group.

I was sitting on one of the tables, just staring at a wall, thinking. I was thinking about Courtney, who was sitting alone on the floor with a bored look. I thought back to the small conversation I had with her during the run. I never thought I'd see the day I would have a civilized chat with her. You know, maybe I'm still able to get on her good side.

I got up from my seat and trekked towards Courtney. Hope she's in the mood for a chat still.

"Um, hey Courtney," I greeted. She turned to look at me.

"Oh, Cody. Hey," she greeted back neutrally, "What do you need?"

"Nothing really," I sat down next to her, "I just thought, you know, we should talk a little more you and me? After all, we were interrupted by Chris earlier."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just forgot where we left off."

"We left off when you said that you guess you needed that outburst of mine."

"Oh yeah, you know, the last time someone like you scolded me when trying to help me, I think it was sometimes, um, last year before summer?"

Seriously? That long ago? It was after a whole year Courtney had accepted help again, from me anyway. What has she been through that she doesn't like accepting help at all?

"Wow, that long? Not even help with your homework or something?"

"Well… You see-"

 **SLAM!**

"CLEAR A TABLE, STAT! WE GOT A MAN!" Owen interrupted our conversation, as he rushed in with an unconscious Noah on his shoulders. Owen dropped Noah down onto the table and began to administer CPR on the bookworm. It was then that Heather and Leshawna entered.

But seriously, how many campers are going to interrupt my attempts in getting on Courtney's good side.

Harold followed in a few seconds later.

Courtney got up to chew him out for losing, "What's wrong with you? You lost us the challenge!" I rolled back my eyes at her boldness.

"I think I might be having heart palpitations," Harold wheezed in exhaustion, holding his chest in pain.

"Wait, so if they lost... then we win the challenge," Gwen yelled. The rest of the Screaming Gophers responded with a cheer. But I knew what was coming next.

"Hold your aa campers," Chris interrupted, "That wasn't the challenge!" The Gophers went silent.

"What did he just say?" Gwen asked.

"He said that wasn't the challenge Gilda," Lindsay replied.

"It's Gwen," Gwen said with looking really ticked off.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Maybe I should've touched a whole lot more on Gwen's name with Lindsay yesterday," I said in my confession. Shortest one so far.

* * *

Chris cleared his throat to gain all of our attention. All he ever wants in life is attention you know.

"Who's hungry?" He opened some curtains to reveal a massive thanksgiving like a feast.

I drooled at the site of it.

* * *

 **Confessional - Gwen**

Gwen rolls her eyes and says, "After the past two days of brown sludge, I almost cried when I saw that buffet."

 **Confessional - Owen**

"Quite possibly the greatest thing I ever saw. Mashed potatoes with gravy, turkey, ham, baked beans, maple syrup..." Owen paused as tears formed in his eyes. "It was so beautiful," he began to weep with joy. "Hold on... I need a moment," Owen began to softly cry, ending his confession.

* * *

We devoured the entire buffet in less than ten minutes. I was lying on the floor, groaning as my stomach was filled to the brim, as well as everyone else's.

"Okay campers. Time for part two of the challenge!" Chris announced over his megaphone.

"But I thought eating was part two!" As much as I hate to say it, no Owen, it is not.

"What more do you want from us?" Gwen groaned in frustration.

"Weird Goth girl is right. Haven't we've been through enough?" Heather added.

"Hmm, let me think about it… No!" of course he'd say no to this, "It's time for… The Awake-a-thon!"

"The What-a-thon? Owen asked confused.

"Don't worry Owen, this is an easy one. Whoever stays up the longest, wins the challenge for their team!"

"So what you're saying is, the 20K run and the turkey eating frenzy were all a part of your evil plan to make it harder for us to stay awake?" Gwen asked.

"You got it, Gwen!"

"Man, he's good," you're telling me.

"Move move move!" The host exclaimed. As all the campers rushed to the fire pit, I remained behind an to ask Chris a few questions.

"So how does one of the campers lose this challenge?" I asked him.

"If your eyes are closed for tens seconds or more, you're out," I tried to ask him another question before he cut me off, "And no, you can't repeatedly close your eyes for nine seconds. Doing it too much will also get you out."

"Okay, but what about personal belongings to keep us preoccupied? Are we allowed that?"

"That reminds me," he got out his megaphone, "Campers, you have ten minutes to go into your cabins and grab whatever you feel will help you stay awake. You are not allowed to go back to the cabins again until you are out of the challenge, so be sure to choose wisely!"

I rushed back to my cabin for whatever could keep me awake. I looked through my bag and found my Nintendo DS. That could help, plus I have my charger with me so I'm good with that. But I found something else that I was surprised to see.

It was a bottle of Starbucks Frappuccino.

Why do I have this with me? I don't remember packing this while back at home. And there was no way in hell that it appeared out of thin air like that.

Yeah, I'm just gonna conclude that I packed this frappuccino without realizing it.

Still, it'll definitely help me stay awake during the awake-a-thon.

"Campers! You have five minutes left," I heard Chris's voice, "if you're late, you're automatically out."

Crap, how long have I been in here for? Nonetheless, I got all that I needed and rushed to the campfire pit. The same place where the eliminations are held.

The only ones that were not here are Owen, Lindsay, and Geoff.

Lindsay was the first to come. She said, "Sorry, I was applying some makeup."

"Why would you need makeup for this challenge anyway?"

"Well I don't want to look ugly and rot during this challenge," said Lindsay. I'll never understand girls.

Owen came after. He explained he was eating some more food so he wouldn't starve the whole day.

"The average person can go on for three _weeks_ without food," Noah explained.

"Three weeks?!" Owen exclaimed, "I don't think I could survive for three _days_!"

"That rule applies to water."

Noah and Owen's chat was then interrupted when Geoff came with soda bottles in his hands, "I'm here dudes!" He said.

"And not a moment too soon," Chris said arriving on the scene, "The Awake-a-thon starts right now."

And thus, the Awake-a-thon has begun. I checked my watch to see that it's ten in the morning.

Geoff began drinking both bottles of soda. He'll have to pee pretty soon for drinking that much soda.

At the same time, Chris was explaining the rules of the contest, "Here's how the contest will be played. Rule number one, you are out of the contest if any if you close your eyes for more than ten seconds," At this statement, a bunch of hands went up. "And no, you cannot constantly close your eyes for nine seconds and then reopen them." The hands went down. "There will be a bathroom break every four hours. Whether or not you want to go is up to you. Just know that you can only go during the bathroom breaks. Also, you only get two minutes for the break. Chef will escort you there so don't try any funny business. The third rule, or is it the fourth rule? I don't know. I've lost count. Anyway, it must be known that you cannot leave the campfire pit unless it's for a bathroom break. Doing so will result in you being kicked out of the challenge. All of these rules only apply if you're still in the contest. And with that, you may start your challenge."

And thus, everyone went back to doing whatever they're doing.

I saw Harold helping Geoff realize that his soda drinking plan wouldn't work, "Soda sleepwalk full of sugar. Sugar makes you hyper and keeps you awake," Geoff explained.

"They do give you energy, but only for a time period. What happens after the period runs its course?" Harold explained.

"Then you lose your energy and you crash?" At that part, Geoff realizes his mistake, "Aw man. Why didn't you tell me before I drank?"

"I tried to, but Chris was explaining the rules," Harold reasoned.

"Well, nothing I could do anymore. Gotta make the most of I suppose," Harold was right about Geoff's problem. If he runs out of energy from the soda, it'll be dreamland time for him.

I glanced back down to the Frappuccino I still have with me. This'll definitely give me a better advantage.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Since I've found this frappuccino in my bag, this got me thinking for an advantage," I spoke in the confessional, "I'll simply distract myself from falling asleep by playing on my DS and reading my comics. Then when I'm tired, I'll drink some of this caffeine drink to keep me awake longer," I presented the Frappuccino to the camera in my hands, "But I'll be more conservative with this drink. I don't want to drink everything right away and drop down early in this contest."

* * *

What time was it now you might ask? Why it's six in the afternoon. The Awake-a-thon has been going on for the past eight hours and no one has fallen asleep yet. I kept myself distracted by reading my comics for a bit. Man, even at twenty-six years of age, I still find lots of enjoyment from them. Now I'm a teenager again, and I'm still reminding myself of that.

 _ **THUD!**_

I looked back to see what made that sound, and I saw Owen had fallen asleep. Great, we've lost our advantage point, "There goes our one member advantage," I mumbled to myself.

I noticed Trent and Gwen talking to each other. I was close enough to hear what they were speaking.

"This is the most boring thing I have ever done in my life," Gwen said, letting out a yawn.

"Could be way worse," Trent said.

"Oh yeah? How?"

"I could be stuck here without you to talk to," Gwen smiled at his statement. I smiled seeing them getting along well. You know, maybe I could hook them up together like last time. Trent's one of my best buddies, and while I'm not infatuated with Gwen anymore, I still like seeing her happy.

Also, since I have the knowledge of all future events, I could make sure that Trent and Gwen stay together. Permanently, I hope. Heather wouldn't break them up, and I'll be sure to keep Duncan away from Gwen. I'm not going to let Gwen get together with Duncan at all.

That's a promise.

I then noticed Lindsay was trying to do a handstand. Being curious, I walked up to Lindsay to get a closer look at her stunt.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked also noticing.

"Trying to get the blood to rush to my head," Lindsay says as she adjusts, "I think it's working!"

"Can I try?" Beth asked Lindsay.

"Sure!"

I chuckled quietly at their conversation. It was at that moment, Heather came up to the two.

"Lindsay, Beth, can I talk to you two for a second?" Heather asked them.

The two agreed and followed where Heather was taking them. Oh great, I know where this was heading. Making sure that I wasn't spotted, I snuck behind the three and peeked from behind a bush, witnessing Heather's talk.

"So, I have a plan to get me and two other people to the final three, and I chose you guys," Heather explained.

"Really?" Beth asked in a surprised tone.

"Oh my gosh, that's so awesome," Lindsay added. "This is going to be great. We're going to the final three!"

Lindsay and Beth began to jump up and down and squee, quickly annoying Heather and forcing her to interrupt them.

"Let's just set down some ground rules, though. First, let's get this straight. I'm placing a lot of trust in you guys, you got that?" Beth and Lindsay nodded. "So you'll do whatever I say, right?" They nodded again. "Good. That's what I like to hear."

I starting to feel rather upset hearing Heather's _suggestion_. I really need to do something about this. But what? I snuck away to the confessional. Thank god I'm stealthy.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"So Heather plans to use Lindsay and Beth as her pawns just so she can get herself to the finals and win the money?" I said sternly with my arms crossed. "That disgusts me. Lindsay and Beth don't know what they're getting themselves into. They're both sweet, naive, and purely innocent girls. And Heather is just some manipulative Queen Bee that'll do anything to win this game. How do I know this? All I'm gonna say is that I've experienced Queen Bees and manipulative people in the past. Heather fits a good description of one of the Queen Bees back where I'm from. I'll show Heather just what I'm made of."

* * *

It was ten at night now. We're two hours away from reaching the first midnight hour of the Awake-a-thon and are twelve hours in. I looked back down at my frappuccino, I have a feeling that I'll be drinking some caffeine soon.

"Alright campers, time for another bathroom break. Any takers?" Chris announced.

I already went to the bathroom during the second break, so I'm fine for now.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Eva said as she got up. Everyone else was too tired to walk.

She stuffed her MP3 player in her pocket as Chef escorted her. Along the way, Eva's player fell out.

Heather noticed this, went over to where Eva dropped her player, made it look like she was stretching, and bent down and picked it up. She then went back to where she was originally sitting. It looked like nothing had happened.

Now here's the thing. I would've gone and told Eva that Heather took her MP3 player, and plans to use it so the Bass can turn against Eva.

But I didn't, for a number of reasons.

First of all, I don't really like Eva that much. I may not be afraid to stand up against Duncan anymore, but Eva was on a higher level than Duncan. Secondly, Eva's is actually the Bass's most disliked camper at of currently. She's already causing a number of problems on the girl side of the Bass cabin. Add Ezekiel's sexist comments from the other day to her anger, it'll only get worse.

Plus, I'm not sure if Eva saw me conversing with Ezekiel before he left. But if she did, she'll think I agree with Ezekiel's ideology on girls.

Besides, Duncan and DJ could fill in Eva's void as the most physical and strongest for their team.

Eva had returned from her trip to the bathroom, unaware of what had happened. When she finds out, all hell will break loose.

* * *

It's the midnight hour now. The second day of the Awake-a-thon had officially begun.

"Congratulations campers! You've reached the first midnight hour of the awake-a-thon," Chris announced, "It's time to take things up a notch. With Fairy Tales!" Chef appeared wearing a pink sheep costume while playing a harp.

"Oh he's not serious," he's serious Gwen. To be honest, I'm more weirded out that Chef's wearing the costume.

Chris then began to read, "Once upon a time...there was a boring kingdom," The combination of Chris reading slowly and Chef's harp made every camper yawn, "And in this boring kingdom...there was a boring village...and inside this boring, sleepy village, filled with very boring children."

The first time I competed, I've fallen asleep onto Owen's butt, and he farted in my face. I had a very hard time getting the smell out of my nostrils at the time.

After the fairy tales were done, Chef began to dance in a pink tutu to the music called _Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy_. As weird and hilarious to watch, it was really causing some of us to sleep.

DJ attempted to tie himself to a tree to stay awake, but it proved useless when he gave in to dreamland and fell asleep, knocking the tree over with him.

"Timber…" Gwen mumbled.

"Well, I think it's the best time to use this," I said to myself. I brought out my Starbucks frappuccino and drank about one-third of the bottle. Hope that's enough.

"What are you drinking?" Someone asked me. I looked to see who it was, and sure enough, it was Courtney.

"Drinking some drink. What else?" I chuckled at the last statement.

"You're drinking some coffee to gain an advantage aren't you?" she said.

"Actually, this is frappuccino. Very different than coffee."

"That's caffeine you're drinking, you're giving yourself an unfair advantage. It shouldn't be allowed."

"No rules about having your own caffeine to drink," Chris said, popping in suddenly out of nowhere.

"Oh come on! Isn't this still cheating?" Courtney demanded.

"Not if it's your own caffeine that you brought from home. I saw Cody bringing it here, so he's alright. Gopher's advantage, Bass none," and with that, he left us both alone.

"Urrgh! This is so unfair," she turned away and walked back to her own team.

Okay, so I know she's being overly competitive and thinks my actions are that of cheating, but I think this would be a good time to have an actual conversation with her without any more interruptions.

"Hold on!" With what strength I had left, I grabbed Courtney's left arm with mine to prevent her from taking any more steps.

"Hey! Let go!" she yanked her arm away from me.

"Sorry. Look I know you're still upset with me over this whole caffeine thing. But I think we should move on and focus on ourselves.

"Ourselves? What do you mean by that?"

I sat down on a stump. "The last two sane chats we had were both interrupted. I think we should finally get to know each other for real this time."

Courtney looked hesitant at my offer. I noticed her biting her lip, as if she's trying to decide what's best for her. I don't want her to look conflicted, "Courtney, if you're worried about being the reason if your team loses this challenge, I can assure you that won't come to it."

She still didn't look convinced, "But, you're on the other team." Oh great, now she's making up lousy excuses now.

"Uggh! Again with the teams. Seriously! I told you already that these teams only mean so much. I'm not planning on sabotaging anyone here. Not even you for that matter. All I want is to play a fair game," I said as serious as I can be. Oh man, I'm starting to get tired just by talking like this.

After a few more seconds of silence, she sighed in defeat and sat next to me, "I'm sorry Cody. I just… I just don't want to be the main reason that my team loses."

"Come on Courtney. I really doubt that the majority in on your team will hate you if they see you talking to me. You seem to be so worried to lose this contest."

"Well, why wouldn't I be. I came here to win. I don't want to go home early and being called a failure."

"Failure? Isn't that a bit too strong of a word, even for you?"

"Well, I don't know. My parents are very strict when it comes to perfectionism, and I can't show any signs of flaws or weaknesses in this contest. I just can't!"

You know, I'm starting to feel happy for Courtney right now. She's starting to open up more as I talk to her.

"So it's your parents that made you as you are?" I asked her.

"Well, kind of. It's also my school that makes me like I am, I guess. The students there are overly competitive over every game and competition there, and they resort to any actions to win," Courtney explained.

"Even those more horrible like…" I thought of an example, "blackmailing sensitive information?"

"Maybe. I ran for President of the Student Council and won last years spot. I plan to run again for it. I like to think of it as a way of training for my future career."

"Being a lawyer or something like that?"

"Yes. And don't even get me started on the grades I have to accomplish. I work on any homework I receive to get the best grades possible. The institute I want to go for expects grades that are the highest."

"How high are we talking about?" I asked.

"Too high," she chuckled.

I chuckled at her answer. It was funny.

"That's really nice to hear that," I said, "But I'm gonna be honest here. You can't possibly think that you'll live your life through working too much every single day. It's unhealthy for you. You really should relax, sometimes you need to just let go. Let things happen at their own pace and take them as they are, way easier and not as time-consuming."

Courtney frowns a bit as she looks back at me, "Even if you are right, what if I still want to be on top?" She says.

"Then I'll make sure you're on top of me," I said with a sly grin.

Courtney blushed at my statement, "Your PERV!" she said.

"Hey, not my fault you fell for it!" I laughed at her embarrassed reaction.

* * *

 **Confessional - Courtney**

"Even though Cody's weird, and a geek, and on the other team… it does feel nice talking with him," she said feeling relaxed, "and he's right in some regard. I do need to relax a few times in life. I just can't seem to find time to."

* * *

I checked my watch to see that it's one in the morning. Our conversation went silent for a little since we ran out of things to talk about. Also, Courtney didn't want to give out any more information than what she already told me. I guess I'll have to know later on.

Anyway, we were simply staying focus by staring at the fire, as it cackled away in the night.

"I think it'd be best to move around," Courtney told me.

"You shouldn't do that Courtney," I told her, "The point is to remain awake as long as you can. Walking will only drain what energy you have left in your body," It's true. Many would think the opposite of this fact.

"Well, I still feel like I'll drop any moment now," she complained

"Welcome to the club," I added.

It was quiet once again. I feel so bored as hell right now. I began to ask myself some questions in my head.

 _What would happen if we lost WWII?_

 _Did the American government really plan out 9/11?_

 _Is the Illuminati real?_

 _What if the Earth was flat? Is it even flat?_

 _What would happen if Ezekiel never made those sexist comments?_

The last one really got me thinking. As always, one small change can have a ripple effect, resulting in massive changes.

"Hey Courtney, and, uh, Cody?" Courtney and I were taken a little by the voice. We turned to see who was talking to us.

It was Bridgette.

"Oh, hey Bridgette," Courtney said very tiredly.

"Oh, um hey there Bridgette," I said feeling awkward, "What's up?"

"Nothing much. Is it okay if I sit here with you two?" she asked us.

I was taken aback a little by her question, but being the kind person I am, "Sure, it's a free country."

"S-sure! I don't mind. Help yourself." Did Courtney stutter?

* * *

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"I know it feels weird that out of the blue I want to chat with those two, at least I think, but there wasn't really anyone else to talk to besides Courtney. Plus, I sort of wanted to get to know Cody a little. He seemed like a nice guy after talking with him during last challenge. Not to mention that he did help Courtney with her eye infection, even if he did shout at her."

* * *

Bridgette sat down on an empty stump next to mine, "So what's up? What're you guys talking about?"

"Courtney and I were telling a little bit about ourselves to ourselves," I explained to Bridgette, "What about you. You're a surfer, right?"

"Yeah, I really love surfing a lot. You knew since I had my surfboard?"

"Yeah, saw it when I arrived. Thought you could catch some serious waves with it?" I asked her.

"Yeah, until I was greeted with this island's beach. Looks like the best I could do now is to just float on it on the lake," she frowned.

"You're not the only one to be upset," Courtney added in, "I was also feeling upset that we were dropped off on this here island. I didn't show it because I wanted to make a first good impression on everyone here."

"Well, besides the beach, I'm actually glad we're more in a greener area than at a resort," Bridgette told us.

"Huh, so you're like a nature hippie or something?" I asked Bridgette.

"Well, maybe a little, I guess." she smiled.

However, her smile, mine and Courtney's vanished. Our pupils shrank to pin prinks. We turned to look at what we just saw. It was Owen just sleepwalking into the woods. Nothing wrong with that….. Except her was NAKED as a new born baby!

...

...

...

...

"... I'm scared for life now," I said simply.

* * *

 **Confessional - Owen**

"Did I mention that I ate the entire table of its maple syrups and baked beans?" he then made a sheepish look, "Funny thing about baked beans… they make me sleep walk."

* * *

It was almost two in the morning now. I feel really tired now.

"I'm really bored right now," said Bridgette.

"I got an idea. Why not we play 20 question?" I suggested to the girls.

"Good idea, I'll go first," Courtney said. There's no stopping her from going first, "Alright, I got one."

"Um, is it bigger than a tree?" Bridgette guessed.

"Too big."

"Is it bigger than my fist?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Is it something you can use?" Bridgette.

"Yes."

"Is it useful?" me.

"That depends on how you use it."

"Can you wear it?" Bridgette.

"No."

"Can you carry it?" me.

"Yes."

"Can you use it to carry things?" Bridgette.

"No."

"Can you carry it to certain places?" me

"Yes."

"Can it be used for work?" Bridgette.

"Yes."

"Is it a notebook?" I guessed.

"No."

"It's a laptop." Bridgette guessed.

"Sigh, yes. You got it right." Courtney looks disappointed that she got it.

"I guess it's my turn now," Bridgette took a moment to think, "Okay, got one."

"Is it… something you use?" Courtney.

"No."

"Is it surfing?" me.

Bridgette looked wide-eyed at my answer. I got it right, "How did you guess that easily?"

"Well, since you're deemed the 'surfer girl' here at camp, I figured you have a huge desire for surfing anytime you want," I shrugged, "either that or it was a very random guess of mine."

It was my turn to pick. I decided to pick one that will be a little bit easier for the two.

"Got one. Guess."

"Is it, something small? Bridgette.

"That's subjective."

"Is it smaller than mine or Bridgette's fist?" Courtney.

"No."

"Is it, smaller than a laptop?" Bridgette.

"Yep."

"Is it living?" Courtney.

"Yep."

"Can you hold it?" Bridgette.

"Yep."

"Is it a pet?" Courtney.

"What pet am I talking about though?"

"Is it a cat?" Bridgette.

"Yes. Didn't think you'd guess on that first try."

"Call that a random guess to I think," Bridgette shrugged.

"Time for another bathroom break campers!" Chris announced, "Any takers?"

Now that I think of it, I feel like my next round of bladder is wanting to come out.

I got up from my stump, "I'm gonna head to the bathroom. Try not to sleep by the time I get back." I said to the two.

"I don't plan to do so," Courtney said.

"I'll try my hardest," Bridgette smiled.

I smiled at the two and headed for Chef, who was back in his original attire. I was the only one needing to go.

"Follow me maggot," he ordered me. I followed him to the communal washrooms, "I'll be waiting out here. Don't try any sort of funny business, you here."

"No promises," I said, receiving a very angry look from Chef, "Relax I'm only joking, having fun you know."

"Whatever, just know you have five minutes," I nodded and headed inside to take my leak.

* * *

 **You might know this, but I took some story elements from Purplebandit3000 story into mine, since I thought it would also make a good addition. This isn't an attempt to steal. I'm being honest.**

 **The Awake-a-thon had started, and Cody's slowly getting along with Courtney. And it also seems like Bridgette wants to get to know Cody herself. Maybe it has something to do with his cliff diving that he performed back during the first challenge? Or maybe it's something else? Either way looks like Cody's making friends with the Bass nonetheless.**

 **Also, it seems Cody's aware of Heather 'alliance' with Lindsay and Beth. He might be planning something to one up over Heather. I hope.**

 **But do you know what's the best part though?**

 **SONIC MANIA!**

 **It's finally out! I have it for both my PS4 and Nintendo Switch. I've played it, and it's awesome! No joke, it's such an amazing game! Get it ASAP!**

 **Anyway, that's it for this chapter. The Awake-a-thon will continue on in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6 - The Awake-a-thon Part 2

My five minutes were up just by the time I was done in the restroom. I walked back to the campfire with Chef behind me. Courtney and Bridgette were still sitting on their original stumps when I left. They both look very tired. I can just wonder how much they desire to sleep. Just like the rest of us.

Speaking of the rest of us, I glanced around the area seeing who's out. From my team, there's Lindsay, Beth, Noah, and Owen that are out. The Bass team has DJ, Katie and Sadie, and Geoff.

Gopher's seven, Bass six.

I sat back down with the two Bass girls. They seemed relieved that I've returned.

"Thank god you're back," Bridgette said, "I almost fell asleep a couple of times."

"Come on I know you girls can pull through. Besides, you had Courtney to talk with," I pointed out.

"I was feeling to tired to talk. I'm not sure if I could go on like this," Courtney said.

"Again, welcome to the club of the sleepless."

Just then, we heard a thud. Izzy succumbed to sleep.

"Well looks like our teams are tied again." I spoked.

* * *

It's now six pm in the second day of the Awake-a-thon. I was awake for thirty-five hours, while the challenge has been going on for thirty-two hours.

I can't believe that I made it this far. I thought for sure that I was going to be one of the first to fall asleep. My frappuccino is probably my biggest contributor for keeping me up, since it's caffeine after all.

As for who else fell asleep, only Leshawna for the Gophers. That leaves me, Gwen, Trent, Heather, and Justin remaining for the Gophers, while the Bass still had Duncan, Courtney, Bridgette, Harold, Eva and Tyler awake. Bass six, Gophers five.

Looks like tomorrow will be the final day of the game. I doubt that I'll be awake by then, but I'm sure I could suffer for a few more hours of no sleep. It'll probably be difficult to get my original sleeping schedule back though.

Bridgette and Courtney are still up. Haven't spoke with them for a few hours now. Maybe I ought to chat with them some more.

 _ **THUD!**_

One of them now. Courtney took the next train to dreamland. Our teams are tied again. Bridgette didn't seem to notice that her friend took the dive.

I slowly trekked back to her and said, "Hey Bridgette, Courtney took the dive."

"Wha…?" Bridgette said, taking a quick look at Courtney, "Oh, bummer. Guess I was to tired to notice."

"Yeah, the lack of sleep could really mess up your mind."

"I could really go for some of your frappuccino now."

"Sorry Bridgette. You may be my friend, but you're still on the other team," I paused for a moment thinking, "We are friends aren't we?"

"I hope so, you seem like a cool guy to hang out with."

Did she really mean that? Another pretty girl like Bridgette wants to be friends with me?

"Despite the fact that I'm a nerdy geek?" I pushed a little.

"What's wrong with being who you are? Don't you remember to never judge a book by it's cover?" She asked.

"Well, yeah I heard of that saying, who hasn't. Only, the boys and girls at my school don't seem to acknowledge it. They take stereotypes way to seriously."

"...You were bullied a lot haven't you?"

Wow, she's really starting to catch on rather quickly. I figure she understands what I'm talking about already rather than Lindsay. You know, maybe she would… nevermind.

"Took away my answer," I responded, "I'm betting you've witness these sort of things?"

"A few times actually," she frowned, "I… I don't remember much of it since, well, since I hanged out with the popular kids. Being popular isn't all that fun either way," she paused for a moment. She must be thinking what to say next, "I honestly prefer to make friends and be at peace with everyone. I'm not a victim but I really hate seeing the guys bully. They think that by bullying everyone else, that it would impress me and I would start dating one of them."

"And have you?"

"No! I rather be friends with nerds than hang out with bullies. I may be a blonde, but I'm not stupid and naive," Oh man. I know she didn't mean it as an insult, but her description on Lindsay's kind was pretty accurate, "And if that wasn't bad enough, my ex-boyfriends joined the jerks' side."

"You dated before?"

"Yeah, a few times. My first boyfriend back in seventh grade, Jacob, he was only dating me so he would be 'cool' looking. Then there was Marcus in eighth grade… he only wanted to have sex with me."

"What!? He tried to rape you!?"

"Relax Cody. I realized his intentions almost immediately, I'm still a virgin," Phew. I'm glad to hear that, "My third boyfriend was Edward in ninth grade. But he tried to get me to do drugs with him. I declined immediately and never chatted with him again. And I'm single again."

Wow. I didn't think that she would tell me some of her life's problems to me this soon. It's not as bad as mine, but still awful in her own way. I'm guessing her life turned for the better when she met Geoff the first time.

I smiled a little remembering Geoff and Bridgette's relationship. It was another one of TD's most secure relationship. Granted, Geoff still did some nasty things like become a Chris clone during the aftermath back in TDA, which he regretted doing at the end and admited his mistakes. And Bridgette cheated on Geoff when Alejandro seduced her into getting her voted off. I don't blame her, she seems to be one of those girls that's attracted to a guy's hot body and their abs, and Al was using his looks to eliminate Bridgette.

That latin jerk. I'm sure as glad he's not here.

I can really see why Geoff was really attracted to Bridgette. She's a passionate girl who wants to see the best in everything and everyone, and wishes for everyone to be at peace with one another. She tends to animals, even the wilder ones, and really keeps to her nature that animals are our friends, not food. She hates bullies, and disapproves the violence they commit.

All in all, Bridge is an amazing and beautiful girl.

Wait, where did that come from? And why did I just called her 'Bridge'? Only Geoff could call her that since he's her boyfriend.

"Um, Cody? You there?"

"Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts and back to the girl in front of me.

"What happened? You were zoning out for a moment."

"Oh, uh… I was just thinking on some stuff."

"What were you just thinking about?"

"N-Nothing important. Let's just change the subject. Why did you decided to join this show?" I didn't want to get into detail with Bridgette about my thought. She'll might get creeped out.

"Huh? Oh, I just wanted to make friends and to compete, and I thought it was a good idea at the time. My friends really urged me, so did mom," Bridgette said.

"Your mom urged you to join this show?"

Oh yeah! My mom and I are very close, she helps me make my major decisions. She thought it would be awesome and would be a good opportunity to make friends, like you."

"W-wow," I blushed a bit, "That really means a lot coming from you."

"Hmhm, thanks. What about you?"

"Me? Well, just to simply make friends. I'm not gonna lie and say I don't have any friends from where I'm from, but maybe get a fresh new start with newer people of newer kinds. Like, well, with you."

"How am I a newer kind?" she smiled.

"Well you're not a geek like me. Plus, you're a surfer girl, I've never been friends with someone who surfs. Come to think of it, I never even met a surfer."

"Looks like I'm your first surfer then, right?"

"Yep," I said.

* * *

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"Talking with Cody turned out to be a better experience than I originally thought," she smiled, "It was even better when Courtney fell asleep," she then frowned, "I don't mean to sound harsh, but Courtney seems to be having a hard time talking with Cody. I guess it's because he's on the other team. I took the time after the first elimination to get to know Courtney a little more. She doesn't seem to trust anyone here, not even her own teammates like myself," she sat quiet and thought for a moment, "I can tell that Cody's trying to help Courtney be more trustworthy with everyone. I just hope he knows what he's doing."

* * *

It was the second midnight hour of the Awake-a-thon and I'm still awake. I've managed to stay up for almost forty hours. I'm not sure if I can go any further in this challenge than I already have. I drank all my frappuccino, read all my comics, and my DS is out of batteries. I'll be falling asleep any time now.

Bridgette fell asleep about hree hours ago and is still sleeping, and so is Courtney. Harold also fell asleep, leaving Duncan, Eva, and Tyler as the remaining Bass members.

"Look at him," I heard someone talk. I turned around to see Gwen and Trent as they looked at a certain model standing still, "He hasn't moved for nearly forty hours. How does he do it?"

The two then began to make some noises and gestures to throw Justin off guard, but they weren't able to.

"Man, he's good." Gwen poked Justin's face curiously, which caused him to flinch. Then his-

His eyes opened. Oh I remember this. He painted his eyes!

"Hey! His eyelids are painted!" Eva cried out, "I saw!"

"Seriously?" Chris responded, grinning. "Now this I got to see."

The host walked over to Justin and looked at the eyes that he had painted onto his eyelids to make it look like he was awake. Justin flashed Chris a nervous smile.

"Dude, that is so crazy incredible! But it also means that you're out, dude."

Justin frowned at this.

Now that he's out, the Gopher's have four while the Bass has three.

 _ **THUD!**_

Make that four for the Gopher's and two for the Bass.

"And Tyler is also gone!" Chris announced.

I can't believe I made it this far. I bet a lot of the campers here thought that I would be one of the first to fall asleep, considering I'm scrawny looking, which is how all geeks are. But that doesn't mean that I'm naive and don't think ahead of time.

And I'm good at some sports to ya know.

The Awake-a-thon is probably the most boring challenge in all of TDI. But if someone were to ask me what I enjoyed the most from this challenge, it would be the two Bass girls sleeping right next to me.

My eyes focused back to Courtney and Bridgette who were sleeping on the grass near me. I really got a good talk from both of them. I mean, it's not everyday a geek like me, who looks to be a pervert from another's perspective, would have a good chat with two beautiful girls.

Wait. Did I say beautiful girls? I mean, yeah they're pretty, hot, and-

Nope! Nope! Don't go there Cody. You're not going to act like a pervert again. That sex comment I made was just for laughs, nothing more.

Although… I would really love it if I get a chance to date-

Oh brother. My 'ladies man wannabe' spirit hasn't died down at all. It's still there.

I need to keep my perverted thoughts to myself. I can't show my perverted side one bit. Otherwise it'd be my fiasco with Gwen all over again.

…

…

I'm so bored…

…

…

Reaaaalllly boooored…

…

…

Reaaaalllly boooored and sleeeepy…

…

…

…

So sleeeepy…

…

…

…

…

Sooooooo sleeeeeeeeepyyyyyyy…

…

…

* * *

 _(Several hours later)_

Ughh man.

What happened?

… it's daylight outside meaning…

Aw men, I fell asleep!

And what's worse, I was one of the final campers for the Screaming Gophers. I could've won alongside Gwen.

Aw screw it. I'm not going to mope and complain that I'm out. I'm still way to tired and would really love to get more sleep.

You know, it's funny. I didn't realize I fell asleep, but I remember my dream that I was having.

For some reason, Courtney and Bridgette were in it.

In my dream, I was at the beach, and I was about to hit the waves. But before I could do though, I noticed something from the corner of my eyes. I turned to look who it was and noticed the two Bass girls I'm all so familiar with.

They were in some revealing bikinis, beckoning me to come and join them. It was weird coming from them since girls like tougher and stronger man, not geeks like me. But being the gentleman I am to woman, I complied and sat between them.

What transpired next was me lying between them, and they were cuddling me. Courtney in the front, and Bridgette at the back.

It's considered a dream come true for geeks like me, to be cuddled by extremely pretty hot girls, my dream too.

But why does this feel almost real? I looked around and found my answer.

I was being cuddled, by Courtney AND Bridgette! And I was cuddling back at them!

Their eyes then opened. Shit.

I reacted how every kind hearted gentleman did, despite my perviness.

By screaming at the top of my lungs.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I continued to scream as I ran quickly to the bathrooms before I was yelled at.

Once I got in I looked at myself in the mirror.

" _What the fuck Cody!"_ I cursed to myself in my head, _"What the fuck is wrong with you? You promised yourself that you weren't going to be so direct with any of the girls here, and now I was cuddling with two of them?!"_

God almighty hell. I'm so going to be chewed out by those two. Especially Courtney. Heck, even Geoff might shoot me some glares. I need to let all of this out of my system.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Oh crap! What did I just do?!" I moaned in the confession, "Now Courtney and Bridgette will be creeped out by me and think that I'm really a perv! I'm not trying to be a perv to anyone here! I may be a geek, but I'm not oblivious to what everyone thinks here!"

* * *

Luckily for me, I haven't seen the two girls after I was done ventilating, so I went back to see what was happening with the Awake-A-thon.

The only ones up were Gwen, Trent, and Heather for the Gophers, and Duncan and Eva for the Bass. Fifty hours had passed now. It could be anyone's game here now.

Gwen yawned deeply, "I could really kill for some coffee…" would've given you some of mine.

Chris then walked up to the remaining five with a mug of coffee in his hand, and said, "What's the matter with you all?" He tortured, "Come on, fall asleep already!"

"You gotta hook me up man," Gwen begged, "I'll even eat the grinds, anything!"

"Alright, you five stay with me. The rest of you go and get a shower. For heaven's sakes, you stink!"

This prompted Harold to rush away for some reason, _"Did he see the boogeyman?"_ I thought.

"You know, I didn't want it to come to this," I turned back to hear Chris's announcement, "I even said that to Chef last night. I said 'Chef, I didn't want it to come to this', but goddamn these campers are so stubborn. And so, I came up with the most sleep inducing activity I could find."

* * *

 **Confessional - Gwen**

"What more could he want from us?!" Gwen complained, "You know what, bring it! I'll take on whatever you throw at us!"

* * *

"The History of Canada, A pop-up book," oh god here we go, "Chapter one: The Beaver, a National symbol, and a damn fine hat."

The remaining campers groaned at the lame ass pun. Wait, did I just think 'lame ass'?

History it was one of the most boring classes I had to attend back in high school. Usually I just sleep or secretly play on my DS until class ended. I still passed history with flying colours, but it doesn't have anything to do with what I have planned after school.

Hold on, since I'm back as a teen, do I have to go back to school again?

* * *

Two hours has past since Chris began to torture the remaining five with that torturous book. I just sat under a tree playing my DS to pass the time. But didn't do much this time around for some odd reason.

The only ones remaining are Gwen and Duncan. Heather and Eva fell asleep sometime between then and now, and Trent fell about ten minutes ago.

You know… this challenge feels… off. First time around the challenge lasted for five days, and it looks like this challenge will be over after two days and a half. Maybe a little less. Why is the length different this time?

I looked back up to see the outed campers watching the last two to see who will take the win for their team. Some of them were even taking wagers. I got up to join them. Not to wager with them mind you.

"Hi Cody!" A certain girl called out to me. I looked to see Lindsay walking up to me.

"Hey Linds. What's up?" I asked.

"The sky?"

"Uhh… it means how're you doing."

"Ohhh that's what that means."

"Um, right. Anyway, how're you doing anyway?"

"Well I feel, like, tired still. I don't think I felt this tired in, like, ever." She complained.

"That's what the lack of sleep does to you when you lack of sleep." I replied.

She then turned to the remaining two campers. "I hope Gilda wins. I don't want to go home so soon," she said.

"Why would you go home if we lose?" I asked.

"Well, I was, like, one of the first to sleep. I think. I didn't even get to learn everyone's names yet!"

"Hey don't worry Lindsay," I assured her, "I doubt anyone on our team will vote you out immediately. I know I'll not. You're to kind and pretty to leave so soon."

"You think so?" She beamed.

"I know so."

"EEE!" She bounced with joy. But in doing so, her massive breasts began to bounce too. I attempted to ignore it, but being the hormonal boy I am, I became entranced to it.

Stupid hormones.

"Uh, you know, why not try to learn more names?" I said, changing the topic.

"Oh yeah. I forgot to ask, who won?" she asked as she stopped jumping. Thank god.

"No one yet, but either Gwen or Duncan will win."

"Who?"

"Those two," I pointed to the two I was referring to. As I did, Lindsay looked to see the two still awake.

"Oh you mean Greta and Daniel?"

This led to another name learning lesson. This time around, we touch on Gwen, Trent, and Duncan. She's slowly managing to remember Gwen and Trent. Duncan not so much, probably because he's on the other team and those two aren't close. Thank god they aren't though. I wouldn't want to see what that delinquent would do to the innocent blonde in front of me.

By the time we began to review, it was around one pm, "Alright so what's the name of the girl with dyed hair?" I began to review.

"Um… Gwwwwwwennnn?"

"Correct. Now what about the boy she hangs out with the most?"

"Treeeevvvv… eeeeennnnnt…. Treennnt?"

"Good. Now you try naming them."

"Hmmmm. That's Gwen… and that's Trent?"

"You got it Lindsay!"

"I did?!"

"Yes! Besides mine, you've already managed to already learn six different names here!" It might not sound a lot to someone with average brains, but to Lindsay, that's an accomplishment.

"EEEE! I did it! Thank you Cody!" I was about to say 'your welcome', but she hugged me before I was able to say.

Only… this hug was… different. Lindsay pulled me into the hug rather to quickly. And the next thing I knew, I was obscured by two large round objects that were so warm and soft as marshmallows, and was barely able to breath.

I was pulled into her cleavage of her massive breasts!

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

I sat there in the confessional, hugging my knees as I was recalling what happened, "I've seen every man's heaven just now."

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"EEEE! Cody is just so amazing! He really is helping me learns everyone's names," Lindsay said the last part confused, "You know, Cody is, like, very cute. Much more cuter than the other boys at my school. I mean, like, really really really really really really cute."

* * *

After what was like about ten seconds, I was released from the hug. I blushed a deep red and was breathing for air after release. Her hugs are really tight.

Trying to compose myself, I said to her, "You're, uh, welcome Lindsay," she was smiling from my response.

"Alright! Time for another break!" Chris announced, "Any takers?"

"I've held it this long sweetheart. I could go all day." Said the punk.

"Yeah, but can you hold it for another _ten_ chapters?" Asked the Goth.

Duncan decided to go to the bathroom as Chef followed him.

We waited for Duncan to return, but it's been taking far longer than expected. Gwen groaned tired again, resisting the urge to sleep. I just hope she makes it before Duncan comes back. She looks like she could fall any moment now.

It's been about ten minutes now, and Duncan still hasn't returned.

"Where is he?" Courtney asked annoyed.

Just then, Chef handed a paper to Chris. The host read it, and then spoke into the megaphone.

"And we have news." All of our ears perked at this. "It looks like Duncan's taken a dive on the can. Which means the official winner of the Awake-a-thon is… Gwen! The Screaming Gophers win!"

At 2:10 pm on the third day, 52 hours and 10 minutes, the Awake-a-thon has come to an end. And Gwen's the winner!

Just as Chris announced the end of the challenge, Gwen fell asleep. We, the Screaming Gophers, then began to show why we have 'Screaming' in our name. We all cheered at our loudest for our second consecutive win.

Chris spoke up again, "Killer Bass, I'll be seeing you at the marshmallow ceremony, which is to be held at 6 PM. It's time for you guys to vote someone off."

The Killer Bass slumped and walked off, cursing themselves, while the Screaming Gophers laughed our butts off.

Gwen was still sleeping at the campfire. We walked over to her and Trent and Owen hoisted her up and took her back to the Gopher cabin. Once there, the girls took over and brought her to her bed.

It was then that I noticed Eva thrashing around in the Bass cabin. She doesn't look so happy.

"WHERE. IS. MY. MP3 PLAYER!?" Eva shouted at the top of her lungs.

" _Am I thankful to god that I'm not on the Bass at this time,_ " I thought to myself.

The other Gopher boys and I decided to take a nap.

* * *

I woke up after four pm, by the time when dinner is supposed to begin, so I quickly walked straight to the Mess Hall and saw almost everyone there.

The Bass said Duncan was to beat to move around. He even threatened them if they try to wake him up. At the end, they left him alone. The remaining Bass were trying to discuss who's to go home. When Eva's name was brought up, she went into a fit of rage. And by rage, I literally meant that. She started to throw utensils, plates, even the food around the Mess Hall. She even tried to throw the table, but the Bass held her back.

Is she _still_ mad over those comments that Ezekiel made? It's been nearly five days since those comments, she should forget about them and move on. They're just words.

Anyway, I decided to go and make one more confession for today.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"That challenge was the most tiring challenge I ever had to face. Literally. I had to stay focused and concentrated to prevent myself from sleeping. I had to thank my frappuccino for that. At least some positive came from that challenge. I got a chance to get along with Bridgette, Courtney, and Lindsay. It was a bit of a struggle with Court', but it looks like I'm cool with her now. That is until I was cuddling with Bridgette and Courtney. I know I was sleeping, but god that was so embarrassing. Just as embarrassing as getting motorboated by Lindsay earlier today. I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't enjoy being cuddled and being motorboated, but I don't want the girls to think I'm some creepily perverted geek. The cuddling was an accident, and I never asked to be motorboated. Wrong place, wrong time."

* * *

After I exited the confessional, I ran into someone I didn't intend to run into.

Bridgette.

I stopped in my tracks and froze, "B-Bridgette! What are you doing here?" I stuttered.

"Hey Cody. I was just going in to confess something. I heard you in there," Bridgette responded.

"Y-you heard what I said!?" Oh god.

"Yeah… sorry for eavesdropping like that."

"Oh, uhh… N-nah it's fine."

We stood there for a few seconds, feeling this awkward tension between us. I decided to be the first to break the silence and get to the point.

"Look Bridgette, about what happened earlier today, I'm really sorry for cuddling you and Courtney like that."

"You don't have to apologize."

"I know what I did was bad and so perverted, but I swear I never meant to be- Huh?!" What did she just say?

"You don't have to apologize."

"Really?"

"I understand where you're getting at. I don't think you're a pervert," she reassured me, "What you did was a complete accident. You were asleep, and so was Courtney and I. None of us knew what we were doing. And the way you ran away from us showed you didn't mean it more."

Oh thank god. Bridgette forgives me. She's not mad at me at all. I let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks for understanding Bridgette," I then got a thought, "Hold on, what about Courtney? Is she mad at me?"

"No, she's not. I talked with her after you left and assured her that it was not your fault, nor was hers or mine. But I think it be best if you just leave her alone for the rest of the day. She might feel to embarrassed to talk with you."

"Well, as long as we're cool then I guess it's fine."

Bridgette then began to giggle, "You know before Lindsay hugged you, I thought you were gay."

Wait! She saw my 'hug' with Lindsay!? "Y-you saw!?"

"Me and a few other campers that was in hearing range. Honestly, I thought it was funny how she hugged you. I bet she didn't realize where your head was," she said playfully.

"Well, that's Lindsay for you, innocent and naive, I guess," I attempted to smile.

"Still though, before that, I thought you were gay."

I knew she meant it as a joke, so I think I should joke too, "Oh really now. Would a gay boy hang out and cuddle with two lovely ladies, hmm?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Heh heh, I thought you aren't a pervert," she playfully said.

"Oh I ain't no pervert, I'm just some guy complimenting the ladies here."

"Heh, it was nice talking with you. But I like to make my confession if that's fine with you."

"Go on right in. It's all yours. See ya tomorrow," I said walking past her back to my cabin.

"Sure. See ya," she called back and went inside.

You know, even though I'm not dubbed the Codmeister, the ladies man wannabe anymore, I still have the Codmeister spirit in me still.

* * *

Just as I thought, the Bass had voted Eva off. I already knew it would happen. After all, her rage was the cause of her elimination. It came to bite her back, and now she's gone because of it.

I knew of her elimination, and yet, I didn't acted on saving her. It could've been the first major elimination change in the game. As of now, the game seems to be proceeding as normal like the first time.

Well, almost normal.

I can tell a bunch of differences of this round than back from first time. I'm not flirting with Gwen like last time, but Gwen is still resenting me for some reason. Lindsay doesn't seem interested in Tyler like the first time, and Bridgette… I don't know to be honest. I have a feeling that something with Bridgette is changing. Maybe it's the fact that she and I have become friends unlike the first time. That could be it.

As for Courtney, there seems to be a bigger change with her. When I was talking with her during the Awake-a-thon, she was telling more about herself as a human. Not of her accomplishments. Heck, she even spoke a bit about her home and how tough he life was. She also looked as if she needed to get all that stuff off her chest. Courtney had probably never talked about her problems with that delinquent. He might've not even cared if she did talk about her home life.

I was making a difference with Courtney!

If I continue to hang out with Courtney more and get to know her better, she'll most likely won't bring out the worst in herself in later seasons. Yeah. I could make that happen.

It seems I have a game plan for Courtney now. Keep her from falling to the dark side. I also might as well continue teaching Lindsay the names of everyone here. As for Bridgette, I guess I can continue to hang out with her as a friend? I dunno.

But for now, I need my sleep. My sleeping pattern is off, and I need my rest now. Tomorrow's another day.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. This chapter was really tricky for me to write. It's hard writing chapters based around the Awake-a-thon. Another reason why this one was late is because school started. My last year of high school, s I really need to focus on my high school marks and portfolio to enter my designated college.**

 **But I do have something huge to share with you all. Last week at the end of summer I went to Fan Expo Canada. Basically another Comic Con. I went there for all four days, and I met someone there. Actually, three well known people there.**

 **I've met Chris Mclean himself, Christian Potenza! Novie Edwards, the voice of Leshawna, was also there! As well as Christine Thompson, one of the producers at FreshTV! I'm not even joking, they were actually there!**

 **It was an amazing experience meeting these people there. I chat with the three for at least two hours, and even got an autograph from them, a picture with them. Not only that, but I got to meet them as not simple actors, but as humans. It was fantastic.**

 **And incase your wondering, no, they did not gave me any info for the next Total Drama season. But Christine was tempted to tell me.**

 **Anyway, I'm slowly working on the next chapter of Cody's Redemption, Dodgebrawl. Still, don't expect my chapters to come out every few days or so. I really need to focus on school now.**

 **Take care.**


	8. Chapter 7 - Dodgebrawl

Another day of relaxation. Sort of. I know it's a non-challenge day today since we just finished our second challenge yesterday. And Chris hasn't given us an early wake-up call like last time, so that's another pro for us.

I heard a yawn behind me and saw that Trent was just waking up from his sleep. I turned to greet him good morning.

"Morning Trent. You're getting up early aren't you?" I asked.

"It's ten in the morning you know. Still feel kinda tired from the challenge yesterday," Trent replied.

"Do you still feel rested though?"

"A little bit."

I too also recovered most of my normal sleeping pattern.

The two of us got out of bed and headed to the communal bathrooms. We brush our teeth, took a shower, then headed for breakfast. Some of the other campers were already there, while some had just started to show up, like us.

I sat down next to Leshawna, who was struggling to eat her breakfast, just like the rest of us. Despite the awful food, the Gophers and I were feeling upbeat for we're strolling in our victories.

When I looked up, I noticed something from the corner of my left eye. Lindsay was looking at me from the other end of the table. I looked back at her, and she beamed once I acknowledged her. She waved at me with her right hand and I waved back.

Then Heather glared at her, and the blonde winced at her glare.

What did Lindsay do to make her upset? She wasn't hanging with Tyler or looking at him. Did it had to do something with me?

My train of thoughts halted when the rest of the campers showed up. A lot of the Killer Bass are feeling really tired.

"Duncan, you look like crap dude," Chris said.

"Stuff it," was the delinquent's reply.

"Harold snored all night," Courtney explained.

"Wow, three nights without sleep? How much are you hurting dude?" Chris taunted.

"You want to find out!?" Duncan replied. The Killer Bass dived under the table to avoid any conflict. Some Gophers also did the same. Geoff was right; Duncan _was_ pretty frightening when he was angry. Does Chris have some sort of death wish? First, he antagonizes Eva, and now Duncan. That host is crazy.

"No, no, it's cool. It's cool." Chris said defensively, raising his arms in defence.

Just then, Harold walked in. And he had a mustache drawn on him with permanent marker. Some gasped while some chuckled. Harold was confused at this until Geoff explained the nerd's predicament. Harold didn't seem irritated.

"Hey everyone! It's Gwen!"

The Screaming Gophers cheered and clapped for the winner of the last challenge.

Gwen slowly plodded along to her seat. "I'm so tired, I can't feel my face," She said, face-planting the table. That's what you get for staying awake for so many days.

I looked back at the end of my team's table to find Heather explaining something to Lindsay and Beth. I already know it has to do with their alliance. She must be explaining the rules to her lackeys.

Damn, I just called Lindsay one of Heather's lackeys. If only I can do something to help make Lindsay and Beth realize that Heather's just going to use them both. But how? I know I said I'll show Heather that I mean business, but that was a spur at the moment. I was upset and wasn't thinking straight.

It's still early in the game, so I need to think of something.

Heather then stood up and turned to the Bass team.

"Hey, fish heads, way to kick out your strongest player. Why don't you just give up now?"

Heather then moved out of the way as Gwen took a bowl of oatmeal to the face.

"Miss me," Heather taunted as Courtney scowled.

"Okay campers! Listen up. Your next challenge begins in ten minutes. And be prepared to bring it!"

Huh? Today's a challenge day?

"Chris. We already had a challenge!" Courtney complained.

"It just ended yesterday," Trent added.

"I know, but that challenge took three days to finish, so we're kind of a bit behind schedule here."

God damn, that makes sense. We all groaned as Chris left us, saying he'll be back to take us to our challenge location.

"Another challenge already?" Duncan tiredly complained.

"There's a schedule?" Trent said.

"His name is Chris right?" Lindsay asked.

"YES!" we all replied.

"Okay thanks," the blonde said. Why did she ask that? I helped her remember his name. Maybe just for a quick last second reminder.

Oh brother. I was hoping that I could chill out with my team or one of the Bass members today. Guess that'll have to wait until tomorrow.

My eyes fell upon Noah, who was currently reading a book, minding his own business and not giving a care for the world.

For my entire second stay here, I still have yet to talk with Noah. He and I became very good pals during TDA and became better friends after the season.

If I know better, the third challenge is the dodgeball game. Noah was voted out after this challenge for…

...well for being a dick.

And if I were to guess, he may not have shown it, but being the first one voted off his team must've hurt him emotionally in some way. It looks like I have something for a major elimination change this time.

Save Noah from elimination.

But how?

I'm a good dodgeball player for having some neat game tricks and knowledge. If I were on the other team, I could win us the first two rounds. Then Noah would have volunteered to formulate a plan to get me out. That could earn him some points.

But I'm a gopher, so I need to save Noah from within the Gophers. The only option I have is to talk some sense into him. I know that he's not going to believe me that I'm a time traveller, so I need to think of my words carefully.

* * *

 _(later)_

"Today's challenge is a classic game of dodgeball," Chris began to explain the rules, "The first rule of dodgeball is-"

"You do not talk about dodgeball?" Noah replied, causing him and Owen to snicker.

"As I was saying if you get hit with a ball," he threw a ball at Courtney, hitting her, "You're out."

"Hey, you can't do that!" she said, tossing it back.

Chris caught the ball, "If you catch the ball, the thrower is out, and the catcher gets to bring in another team member out on the court," he explained.

"Throwing balls? Gee, another mentally challenge sport." Noah said.

"I know right?" Lindsay said.

"Okay now Geoff, try to hit me," Chris said, tossing him the ball.

"If you're holding a ball, you can use it to deflect a ball, but, if it knocks the ball out of your hands, you're out!"

"So, what do I do again when the ball comes at me?" Lindsay asked inquisitively. Was she not paying attention this whole time?

"You dodge," Chris replied.

Geoff threw the ball, Chris deflected it with a ball of his own and Geoff's ball hit Lindsay smack dab in the face.

"Oooooh," Chris grimaced. "You were supposed to dodge!"

"Oh, right" Lindsay moaned, revealing a bump on her forehead.

I walked up to her to see if she's fine, "You alright Lindsay? That looked like it hurt," I asked.

"Yeah, I think so," she said.

"Alright, you have one minute till game time. Gophers, you'll have to sit one member out each round."

That sentence had an error in it. Unable to ignore it this time around, I asked, "Um, Chris. Can you quickly repeat that?"

"The Gophers will have to sit one member out each round. Weren't you listening?" he asked confused.

"I _was_ listening. But you haven't told us how many of us will be on the court."

"Five of you from each team. How's that hard to realize?"

"Well, sitting one out is redundant if five members from both teams will be on the court."

"Why does it bother you? The Gophers have the number advantage over the Bass."

Taking a quick look at both the Gophers and the Bass, I let out a giggle, which led to a louder laugh, "Hahaha! Really Chris, aren't your math skills and eyesight in check? Both teams have more than five players. Even the Bass," I snickered.

"Wow, his math skills are worse than I thought," Noah remarked.

A lot of the campers stifled a giggle or a laugh. Chris made an annoyed look.

"Are you guys trying to get the producers to step in and eliminate you personally? Cuz I don't think they'd take kindly to you guys insulting their challenge ideas," Chris said.

"If I managed to survive years of bullying from another average stereotypical high school, I'm not frightened by a couple of producers who suck at math," I smirked.

"Oooooh, I'm so scared right now," he said sarcastically, "Just go and choose your players! We're running out of time you know!"

* * *

 **Confessional - Gwen**

"Wow, I'm actually impressed. He actually managed to get under his skin."

 **Confessional - Cody**

"If I continue doing this, I'm sure I'll be able to break him by the end."

* * *

It was now time to play. Like last time, I was out for round one, along with Leshawna, Owen, Heather, and Lindsay. Courtney, Tyler, Katie, DJ, and Harold were playing for the Bass.

"Bring it on fishies! Otherwise winning three in a row just won't be as satisfying," Heather taunted, making the Killer Bass feel irritated.

"Oh, you're going down!" Tyler yelled, "We're gonna bring the dinner to the table, and then, we're gonna eat it!"

Wonderful insult Tyler. Wonderful insult. You've managed to make Courtney facepalm.

I decided to give my own words of wisdom, "Good luck Bass, you're gonna need it."

"We don't need luck," Harold responded, "With my mad skills, we'll win this game for sure," You shouldn't rely on your mad skills for everything Harold.

"Is everyone ready? Best of five games win. Now! Let's dodge some balls!" Chris spoke.

Chef blew his whistle and the game was on.

I ran to my ball and was the first to throw. I aimed at Tyler, but he managed to dodge the ball. I was expecting that since my ball bounced off the wall and hit his back. I got Tyler out.

Chef whistled him off the court.

"Time to unleash my wicked skill," Harold said.

"Yeah? Then bring it string bean, let's see what you got!" Leshawna taunted.

Harold performed 'The Crane' move, jumped in the air and slammed his ball on the ground. It bounced a couple of times before slowly rolling over to Leshawna.

Said girl picked up the ball and Harold ran in the other direction, squealing like a little girl. Leshawna hit him on the back of his head and the nerd was sent sliding to the wall head first. A crunch was heard.

That's gotta hurt.

Harold was out and we clapped for Leshawna.

See? I old Harold to not always rely on his mad skills to win.

"So what am I supposed to do with this again?" Lindsay asked blankly, oblivious that a ball was coming towards her.

"LINDSAY!" I saw the ball coming, and at the last second, I got in front of Lindsay and caught the ball at the very last second.

"Awesome catch from Cody! Looks like Katie's out!" Chris announced.

Katie walked off to the bleachers. I turned around to face Lindsay, "You alright there Lindsay?" I asked.

"Thank you, Cody! Come here!" She pulled me into her hug, and my face was met with her chest again.

* * *

 **Confessional - Trent**

"Wow, Cody's more impressive than I originally thought," Trent said.

 **Confessional - Geoff**

"Did you see how he moved?" Geoff said in awe, "He even managed to get motorboated by Lindsay! That's wicked!"

 **Confessional - Tyler**

"Oh come on! That should be me being hugged like that!" Tyler complained, "What's he got that I don't?"

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Doesn't Lindsay even realized that she motorboated me in front of everyone?"

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"My hero…" she said dreamingly.

* * *

As much as I loved this feeling, I needed to breathe. She broke the hug, and I got my focus back.

"Cody, since you caught the first catch of the game, you get to bring in someone from your team," Chris announced.

"I don't need to think," I pointed at my choice, "Noah, you're in!"

Said bookworm looked up from his book with fear in his eyes.

* * *

 **Confessional - Noah**

"Really, and I thought I get a chance to read and not get involved. Why must this be a physical challenge?" he complained.

* * *

"I sadly must decline. Sports are not my forte," he tried to excuse himself.

This is getting nowhere. I need to bring out the big guns, "Timeout Chris," I said to the host, "Can you have Chef bring him out? My choice is final."

"Chef!" Chris called out. Chef grumbled, got off his chair and went up to Noah, oblivious to his presence. Chef brought him up and tossed him into the court with a _thud_.

"What the heck!?" Noah yelled.

"Welcome aboard," I said.

"Alright campers, no more delays, let's resume the game," Chris announced.

Courtney made a shot, and she actually hit Heather, getting her out. Leshawna then tried to hit DJ but he manages to catch the ball instead. Leshawna's out for the count.

After catching the ball, Tyler went back on the court before DJ made his decision. But the giant felt fine with him in. I think the jock's trying to impress Lindsay.

Tyler grabbed the ball and fired it. Only, it was misfired into the Bass bleachers and hit Sadie. Just a teensy bit off there Tyler.

"That'll smear the makeup," Chris commented.

"Good going Tyler, now try to hit someone on the other team!?" Courtney scolded.

She handed him another ball, but he didn't have time to throw since Owen brought him crashing into the wall.

"Ow. Darn it." Tyler grumbled.

Chef blew his whistle, signalling that Tyler was out. The jock headed over to the bleachers.

I had a ball in my hands, time to share it, "Noah! Think fast!"

"Wah-" he didn't respond because I passed him my ball.

Chef blew the whistle again, signalling to go. Noah was looked worried, he doesn't look like he knows what he's doing. Instead, he weakly threw at Courtney, only for her to sidestep out of the way.

Taking the chance, DJ launched his ball at Noah and got him out. Lucky for him, it wasn't a hard hit. The bookworm than ran back to avoid any more balls coming towards him.

He'll be pissed at me later, that's for sure.

Just then, out of nowhere, Heather threw a ball at the Bass bleachers. Luckily the Bass dodged the ball. Why would she do that? Did she saw something I didn't? Still, Chef sent her out for purposely hitting non-players.

It was down to me, Lindsay, and Owen. DJ got Owen out while the blonde-food-loving boy was distracted.

"An easy out," Courtney said confidently.

"I wouldn't think so Court'," I responded, "Stay back Lindsay," I turned to her.

I threw my ball up in the air, caught it, then launched it at DJ. He dodged it but... It spun back to DJ and hit him! My awesome boomerang ball that is!

"That is one tough ball to dodge," Chris commented from the sidelines.

Courtney then threw a ball at me. I sidestepped away, but it hit Lindsay behind me. She was sent out. Don't worry Lindsay, I'll avenge you.

I grabbed the nearest ball I could find, rubbed it vigorously against my shirt, then flung it to Courtney's thigh. She tried to avoid it, but it quickly got stuck in her leg. Sighing, she left the court.

I won the first round for my team! I even got Noah to play!

My team looked at me, stunned. I grinned back and said, "What? You've never seen a geek play dodgeball?"

* * *

Round two began, and Trent, Izzy, Lindsay, Beth, and Owen were playing. I was on the sidelines watching how the round will play out.

"What the heck Cody?" I turned to see an annoyed and cross Noah.

"Hey Noah, 'sup?" I said to him.

"Cut the nice guy crap will ya? What the heck was that all about?"

"What? I just brought you out to play some dodgeball. What's wrong with that?"

"Uh, let's see. I hate dodgeball, I hate sports in general, and oh yeah, I almost died!"

"What the heck are you talking about? Getting hit doesn't cause instant death, even a genius such as yourself would know this common fact."

"Still, I did _not_ want in. Sports aren't-"

"Your forte yeah yeah we heard that so many times," I interrupted him, "Listen, Noah. I don't know why you're such a cynic, why you care less of what's happening right now, but even I know that in order to get what you want, sometimes you have to do something you don't like doing. You signed up for this show and want to win the prize money right? Well so do I."

Noah still didn't seem to buy into what I'm saying, "Still though that doesn't change my mind on participating in this ridiculous game. Even if we do lose, it's your guy's fault," he said.

"Care to elaborate how it'd be our fault for losing?" I asked him with an eyebrow raised.

"Simple, you guys wouldn't have put in all your effort to win. I'm contributing to sitting on the sidelines and not making our team lose any sooner. You wouldn't want a short skinny bookworm like me playing."

Alright, now he's starting to annoy me. I knew he's a cynic, but I didn't think he is that much of a cynic this early on in the game, "You know that's big talk coming from you ya know. I mean, look at me," I stood up to show him my figure, "Look at my body Noah, I'm a short skinny guy just like you. We might even weigh the same and have a similar height. Yet, I managed to win the first round without even breaking a sweat," I sat back down, "And contributing is not sitting down and having all your teammate do all your work for you, it's all about going out there and actually _doing_ it. Look at Lindsay for example," I pointed to her.

"The blonde with a mind of a snail and a chest that's bigger than your head?" Noah remarked.

"Yeah, and her name is _Lindsay_. I'll admit, she might be clueless about how this game works and worried that this sport will ruin her looks, but at least she's trying to play the game for her team. She wants nothing more than for us to continue winning." At that moment, Lindsay has gotten a hit to the head.

"NOO!" shouted Tyler.

"Finally," Courtney remarked.

Tyler didn't seem to care for his team, he went over to Lindsay and crouched near her.

"Oh my gosh, my face. How's my face?" The blonde asked as Tyler grimaced.

"It's really…not that bad." The jock told her. "You still look great!"

Trent then walked over to Tyler and threw him out. Tyler didn't acknowledge his predicament though, he was busy looking at Lindsay. Courtney facepalmed at the scene.

"Say, Lindsay, you want to go for a walk?" the jock asked the blonde.

Lindsay didn't answer for a few seconds before blurting, "Okay!"

The two then walked out of the court.

Heather was shocked. "Hey! Hey! Get back here." She shouted at Lindsay. "You are so close to being out of the alliance!"

I'm surprised she let that one slip.

"Really contributing I can tell," Noah said.

"My point still stands Noah. You can't just sit always on the sidelines and expect us to do _your_ work for you. We're a team, and in teams, we work together. Got it?"

"Despite the fact that you freely go ahead and talk to some girls on the _other team_?"

Just keep cool Cody, you can get through this, "That's different and you know that. I'm just simply chatting with some other campers here as regular humans. Not as allies for the future. I don't have any real plans to win this game."

"How shocking."

"GOD dammit I'm being-"

" _TWWEEEEEE!_ "

"Gophers win round 2!"

Our team cheered. Dammit, I missed Owen's awesome skills. Oh well, next time I'll watch it.

"Hey, it's two-zero. How does it feel to suck so much?" Heather taunted the Bass.

"It's not over yet," Courtney replied. She then slapped her forehead.

"Okay, so who's going this time?" Heather asked.

"I'll go again." I volunteered. Owen, Izzy, Leshawna, and Justin also went.

I turned back to Noah one more time and quickly said, "Listen, Noah, I don't know why you're so apathetic, but I think you're a cool guy nonetheless. If you don't contribute to things, you'll never get anywhere in life. This game is like that. You _will_ be eliminated if you don't contribute. I know you know this, so stop trying to deny yourself."

After that, I made my way back over to the others. The Bass have Courtney, DJ, Geoff, Katie, and oh boy, Duncan. The Bass's are bringing out their secret weapon.

Round three began. I threw at Duncan at quick speeds, but he manages to dodge.

The Bass collected the balls and threw launched them all at Owen. The dude fell to the ground as the four of us stood over him.

"Owen! You alright?" I asked him.

"Can you parents my phone and worry them not to tell, Santa?" Was his reply.

Then out of nowhere, another ball soared towards us and hit Justin, who was off guard, in the face. He began to howl in pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, my face! My beautiful face!"

"Justin, calm down man, you're going to be fine," I tried to help him up but got shoved away instead.

"Don't touch me, I'm hideous!"

Justin ran out of the court crying and holding his face. Everyone, including Chef and Chris, watched him in confusion.

"Guys the challenge!" Duncan cried out, "Shoot them!"

I turned back in the nick of time to find some Bass balls flying towards me! Shit! I don't have time to dodge. WHAM! My body fell to the ground.

I watched from the sidelines as the Bass used the same tactics to take out Izzy and Leshawna. Round three ended, and the Bass's were jumping with joy.

"We are not losing another game to these guys, got it?" Heather ordered us. "And where is Lindsay?"

"I'm here," We blinked before turns to Lindsay.

What the heck? Why did Lindsay return like that? Wasn't she supposed to be hanging out with Tyler still?

"Oh, just sit down and stay there," The bombshell nodded and sat down. Then Tyler came in next. He was looking depressed. Did something happened between them?"

The whistle then sounded, signalling the start of the fourth round.

"Aw man, we don't have a counter-strategy yet." Trent spoke.

"We need to figure out a way to counter-attack. I'll think of something," I said to my team.

"We'll try to buy you as much time as we can. Izzy, Beth, Owen, Trent, and I will go." Leshawna said.

The five went out for round 4. I sat there and began to think of the counter-attack.

"I think I have a plan." A voice interrupted my thoughts and I turned to see Noah.

"Noah? You're gonna help?"I asked a little surprised.

"Don't make me change my mind," he glared a little, "I'm already risking my life again to save myself from leaving."

* * *

 **Confessional - Noah**

"If I'm being honest here, Cody actually brings up some pointers," Noah says in the confessional. "I thought at first that my super intellect will get me far into the game, which now sounds really stupid when I think more on it, and as much as I hate to admit it, Cody's also right; about the whole contributing stuff." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "But I'm only doing this to protect myself. Not for my team."

* * *

"Okay Noah, so what's the game plan?"

"Well, to begin with, their strategy involves throwing all their balls at the same person."

The Killer Bass then launched all four of their balls at Izzy.

"Can't we just use it ourselves?" I asked.

"Duncan invented the strategy. I'm pretty sure he has a way to combat it," Noah said. Trent was KO'd at this point.

"Yeah, he's orchestrating the whole thing." Said I.

"Which leads me to my plan," Noah then whispered into my ear his plan. I listened carefully to it. It revolves around deception and trickery. It sounds like it could work, so I agreed to his plan.

By the time we had our plan, the fourth round ended. The Killer Bass managed to tie the whole game. The gophers regrouped, with Heather looking more pissed than usual.

"This is so unacceptable!" She complained, "We should've won by now!"

"Relax Heather. Noah came up with a counter plan. He says it's bound to work," I assured Heather.

Leshawna then stepped in, "Alright Noah, what's the plan?"

"I figured that since Duncan is the leader of the Bass' attack, he would direct the rest of the Bass how to play well. If we direct our target to him and get him out, the Bass will not have a leader and we could continue to pick them off one by one. So once we begin, just put all your effort on Duncan first and continue on after. I'll have to go out for this round to implement the plan."

I decided to volunteer since I sat out during the last round. Heather wanted to go too. Owen also wanted to join in too. Gwen mumbled something about getting revenge, so she's in too.

The Bass had sent out DJ, Courtney, Katie, Bridgette and Geoff. No Duncan? They were plotting something, that's for sure.

"Gophers, Bass. Let's send this sample to the lab, and see what you're made of!"

The whistle sounded. This was it. The fifth and final round. Make it or break it, do or die, the one to decide it all.

Gwen kicked the ball up. She tossed it to me.

"Come on people," Heather said. "Quick feet, fast hands."

I tossed the ball over to Noah, who tossed it to Heather. She then flung it at DJ, who jumped over it.

Bridgette then threw at Heather, who jumped. Owen and I both threw, both of us missing.

Courtney caught me off guard and threw a ball at me, getting me out. Looks like she wanted to get back at me.

I noticed Noah's expression changed. He grabbed a ball and threw with all his might, which didn't look like much. SPLAT! Courtney had ducked, but it hit Bridgette in the head.

It was now four all.

DJ flung a ball at me, but I ducked. Geoff threw at Heather, but the queen bee caught it. This sent Geoff out and Beth was brought in.

Hang on. Am I seeing things, or does Noah looks like he's getting more excited as he plays? Didn't he say that sports aren't his forte?

Said bookworm threw a ball at Courtney, but she caught it. Noah was out and Duncan was brought in. Oh crap.

Katie then threw a ball at Owen, but the big guy deflected it. Owen threw the ball he had in his hand at DJ, who was sent out. Geoff then misfired at Beth and was thrown out by the farm girl.

Things continued like this for quite some time. People were sent out, only to be brought back in a while later, only to be sent out again. The cycle continued. It was the final round, and winner takes all. The Gophers were determined not to lose this challenge after they had the lead, while the Bass did not want to make it a hat-trick in terms of sending someone home.

Later on, I was back on the court with Leshawna, Gwen, and Owen. Gwen slammed Courtney in the face. "That's for the oatmeal." She said.

Oooo man! That's gonna leave a mark.

Noah was back on the court after Leshawna caught out Tyler. The only remaining Bass's on-court are Duncan, Bridgette, and DJ.

"Time for my counter strategy." I heard Noah say. We then threw all the balls we had at Duncan. He managed to dodge the first two, struggled on the fourth, and was out on the fifth.

Bridgette launched one at Gwen and was out. DJ caught a ball that Noah threw, sending him out and bringing in Harold.

"Good luck you two," Noah said to me and Owen.

I looked at Owen, "Let's show these Bass what we're made of."

"Alright! COWABUNGA!" he aimed for DJ.

DJ threw at Owen.

Both balls took the two of 'em out.

It was just me now… against Bridgette, and Harold.

Bridgette attempted to take me out, but I managed to sidestep away, noticing… HA! The Bass ran out of balls on their side. I ran to pick up two more dodgeballs with both my hands.

Making an attempt to distract, I purposely missed Bridgette, leading to taking her out. Sorry, Bridgette, you're a cool girl, but we're still in a challenge. No hard feelings I hope.

Now… it was me versus Harold.

I heard the Gophers cheering for me on the sideline. The first time it was Owen. This time it's me. With my advanced calculating skills and physics, I'm sure to get him out.

You know what… if I win, Noah will still be safe! We don't have to vote out Noah since we win immunity. Duncan would be a major candidate for elimination since his strategy couldn't bring them to victory. I just need to win this, and the rebels a goner.

"Since it's _finally_ down to two people, I'll add some extra balls." The host said, adding in four more balls to the arena. There were now a total of eight.

I grabbed three balls and prepared to fire at Harold, "Sorry Harold, you don't deserve this but my team still needs this."

I then started my onslaught. I threw and bounced my balls across the Screaming Bass's side. I even performed the static electricity Powerball. But Harold, he was dodging like a pro!

Harold leaped out of the way and easily dodged my throws. In fact, he was dodging every single one of them! He jumped over, spun to the side, and limboed to dodge. To say I was impress was an understatement.

"TIME OUT!" By Courtney's request, Chef blew for a timeout.

I made my way back to my team, and we gathered around for another plan.

"I didn't think that Harold's _that_ good in dodging," I said to the others. Not entirely a lie, I actually forgot all about his abilities to perform the Matrix moves. He takes the whole 'talented nerd' stereotype to a whole new level.

"Just keep throwing more balls at him. There's no way that he can dodge them all," Trent said to me.

"And he can't win if he keeps dodging. He'll have to throw sooner or later. And we all know that he can't throw for crap," Heather added.

"Throw the ball wherever you think he's going to dodge. That way, he'll get hit unexpectedly." Noah suggested.

"Did we win yet?" Lindsay asked.

"Not yet Lindsay, but we're close," I said.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile)_

"That was sick bra! Where did you learn to do those moves?" Geoff praised and asked.

"Figure skating classes. They really make you agile," Harold answered.

"Those were some pretty choice skills bro, but you're going to need more than that to win the game."

"Geoff's right. In order to win, you either need to throw him out-"

"Which you can't for crap." Duncan interrupted Courtney

"Or to catch it. Do you think you can do that?" Courtney asked.

Harold thought for a moment before answering, "For sure."

"Good, now go out there and win."

* * *

The whistle blew. It was time to finish this.

"You've got thith Cody," Beth said, trying to encourage me, which I appreciate.

The Gophers cheered for me, as I grabbed a ball, ready to throw... Harold was standing at the other end.

"Harold! Harold! Harold!" The Bass began to cheer their last member on.

I looked around the court, taking note of my surroundings. Estimating the room's measurements, calculating the speed of my planned throw. With what I believe is enough analyzing, I took position with the ball.

"Here…" I took a step forward, "I…" I brought my arm back, "...COOOOME!" and I let it go! The ball sailed pass Harold and bounced off the wall, and continued to bounce around the entire court at rapid speeds. It was like a real-life pinball machine in here. Harold continued to dodge when it came to him a few times.

Then after a few more rapid bounces, the ball hit the Gophers wall, and at the perfect angle, soared straight into Harold like a missile. The ball slammed into his chest, knocked him to their wall and onto the ground.

The Gophers cheered thinking we've won. I held back, not jumping to conclusions yet.

The result…

…

…

…

Harold has caught the ball.

"The Killer Bass win!" Chris announced. Thus, the Killer Bass cheered for their first win.

I just stood there, still as a tree, watching the Killer Bass carrying Harold off to celebrate. I simply sigh in defeat and made my way over the Gophers.

"Gopher's, what happened?" Chris asked us.

"Harold happened, Chris. Harold happened," Noah replied.

"Well, I'll be seeing you guys at the bonfire ceremony tonight. Your win streak has ended. It's time for you guys to vote someone off."

And thus we went our separate ways for now.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Well that was a bummer," I pouted in the confessional, "We lost. Well, we were bound to lose eventually. Our team isn't perfect. But I'm more worried that Noah is on the chopping block. He only played for two rounds, and his counter plan didn't seem to work in our favour. I mean, it did work sort of, but not in the way we were hoping for. But you know, maybe there's still a chance to keep him safe."

 **Confessional - Noah**

"I'm gonna say it again, sports are not my forte. In fact, gym's the only subject I did poorly on. Still, I'm actually glad that I took Cody's advice and participated in the last round. And if I'm being honest, again, I actually had a good time playing. Probably one of the fewest times I'll ever enjoy playing a game like that. Still, we lost, and that was partially my fault. Not to mention I willingly only played one round of it all. I'll just have to see what happens tonight."

* * *

My next objective was to find Leshawna. She was one of the campers who voted out Noah the first time. Maybe I could change her mind.

I found her just exiting the bathrooms, and made my way towards her.

"Hey, Leshawna," I called to her.

"Hey white boy, what's happening," she greeted back.

"I need to know from you, who do you plan on voting tonight?" I asked.

Leshawna thought for a moment before saying, "Not sure quite yet, but my money's on for String Bean."

"You mean Noah?"

"Yeah, he barely played, and his plan didn't work as we hoped. Why? Who'd you rather want gone?"

"I think Justin's a better person to throw out," I suggested. "He stopped playing after the third round and didn't contribute afterwards. Noah's plan may not have worked, but he still made up for himself at the end."

Leshawna thought about it for a little bit. The only real reason why Leshawna would side with Justin anyway is that he's a hot model, and the girls here love to ogle over them. I mean, look at what happened with most of them back in World Tour. Alejandro used his looks to get Leshawna eliminated, including other girls.

"You do have a point… look, the elimination isn't up for another hour, I'll think about it and take your words in," the street girl replied.

"Thanks," we then made our separate ways.

I didn't want to talk with _every_ Gopher, otherwise, they'll think I'm desperate, and will still vote Noah off. I'll just have to wait and see what happens tonight.

* * *

The time has come. The first bonfire ceremony for the Screaming Gophers. The ceremony where the eliminated camper will be decided.

I sat down next to Justin and Noah.

"Alright, before we begin, I would like each one of you to go into the voting booth to place your vote." Chris motioned to the booth, which look really similar to the confessional cam. "We'll do this alphabetically. Beth, you're up first."

I went right after her.

* * *

 **Voting Booth - Cody**

"I'm voting off Justin. He always uses his good looks to get whatever he wants, especially from the girls. Not to mention the fact that he remains silent almost all the time. That creeps me out a bit, to be honest."

* * *

Screaming Gophers, welcome to your first bonfire ceremony of TOTAL... DRAMA… ISLAND!" We had to cover our ears from his shouting, "Here's how it works. When I call your name, come up and receive your marshmallow. The camper who does not receive a marshmallow will be eliminated and must walk the dock of shame, board the boat of losers, and leave. And they can never come back. Ever."

"The first marshmallow goes to… Owen."

"...Gwen."

"...Cody." I went up to claim my marshmallow.

"...Trent."

"...Heather."

"...Beth."

"...Leshawna."

"...Izzy."

It all came down to the final four. Noah, Lindsay, and Justin.

"...Lindsay."

Sweet that she's safe. But why was she on the chopping block?

"Campers, this is the final marshmallow of the night… and it goes to..."

This was it. The moment of truth. Who gets the final marshmallow of tonight? Will it be Justin or Noah?

I did whatever I could to save Noah from losing. Having to reason with his cynical and sarcastic persona, make him play, and some other stuff.

I can see the both are sweating. But after a long wait, the final camper safe is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

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…

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…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

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…

…

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…

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…

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… Noah." Yes!

Noah's safe. He got up and ran to claim his marshmallow. It was his first ever one after all.

"And that means Justin, you're out."

"Oh thank goodness!" wait, what?

Before we could ask, Justin ran past us, happy and relieved. He jumped onto the boat of losers and ran right up to Chef, who was driving the boat.

"Get me and my beautiful face as far away from this island as possible!"

Chef shrugged and drove the boat of losers away from the island.

Well, that was… random. I never thought I'd see someone be this happy to be eliminated. Wait, if Justin's glad to be gone, does that mean he voted for himself?

"So Chris, we're not going to be having another challenge tomorrow are we?" Trent went to ask, "We already had two eliminations in a row!"

"That's for me to know, and for the rest of you to find out tomorrow," Why wouldn't he let us know prior? Simple, he's Chris.

The rest of us then grumbled and headed back to our cabins.

"Hey, Cody?" I looked to see Noah behind me.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"...Thank you."

Knowing what he meant by that, I smiled at his gratitude. "No problem."

And for the first time since coming back here, Noah smiled. We headed back to our cabin.

I did it. I made the first major elimination change. I saved Noah and got Justin eliminated. Granted, Justin never had a major role in TDI, to begin with. But with Noah here, maybe things'll change. Not sure for the better or for the worst, but I'm just glad to have one of my real friends be safe for a little while longer.

I went to sleep that night a very happy camper. Pun definitely intended.

* * *

 **Been nearly a month since I've last updated. I wasn't lying when I said that school comes first.**

 **Anyway, unlike other Cody redemption stories, Noah is safe in this one. I went back to ones like 'Time Brand' and 'Total Drama Time Loop' seeing how the authors handled those stories. Cody attempts to save Noah, but does a lousy job at it. He only says like a few sentences and gives up. But this time, since this is a Cody from his adult years back on the island, he chose his actions and words more carefully. Plus, he was a lot more patient with the bookworm, staying calm whenever he hit a nerve.**

 **It's funny, at I first planned to have Noah eliminated, but I thought for a little bit and managed to find some good words to keep on having him here.**

 **Wanna know whats more sweet though? I made an achievement in TD fan fiction history: The longest 'Cody time travel/second chance' story yet! With a word count of at least 35k, my story is now more longer than 'Time Brand'. Sucks that that story was abandoned, I would've love to read more chapters of it.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Make sure to write your criticism and/or reviews for it.**


	9. Chapter 8 - Confusion & Pride

I feel weird for some reason. I hope it's not my mind playing tricks on me, but the surrounding area feels off. Slowly waking up I notice that… I'm back on the TD Jumbo Jet?

What am I doing back here? Season three isn't for a while. Chris didn't even get this plane until production of season three evan began. No one's even here and-

...wait, I heard something. It's coming from the bathroom confession. It sounded like moaning, and it seems to be intensifying.

It sort of remind me when… no… NO!

I rushed as fast as I could to the confession, hoping it wouldn't be what I think it is. Reaching the door, I grabbed the handle, swung it open to find….

Gwen and Duncan heavily making out!

My eyes were wide open; I stared at the scene eyeing the two that are kissing and moaning, in utter shock and unmoving.

I could just utter one word "...Gwen…" I all I said.

This needs to stop! I have to stop this! I tried reaching for Gwen, but I couldn't for some reason. She and Duncan were getting more farther from me.

"Gwen. GWEN!" I shouted as I reached out. Putting all my effort in, I tried to move towards her. But I can't, I can't, I CAN'T. I CAN'T!

"GWWEEEEEEENNNNNNN!" My voice echoed as everything went black…

* * *

"GWEN!" I woke up.

What the fuck was that?! Did I had another nightmare?!

What's with these nightmares?! First I had one after the first challenge, and now another one?! Does this world hate me or something? Oh god do I feel disturbed!

But this nightmare that I had, well, I'm lucky this one wasn't as horribles as the last one, but still horrible. I dreamt of Duncan and Gwen kiss, but this wasn't a soft one, it was a full on makeout session!

Why would I dream that? It's not even going to happen until World Tour.

I have to prevent Gwen from falling in love with Duncan. It's a good thing that Gwen doesn't like Duncan, but not for long.

She'll have her eyes set on Duncan when TDA comes around and I can't let that happen. In order to prevent this I need to qualify for Action, or at least prevent Duncan qualifying or vice versa for Gwen.

For now I should just focus on this season.

I got out of bed and headed for the washrooms, brushed my teeth and took a bath. After my bath, I returned back to my cabin and put on my clothes for today, which is still the same yellow t-shirt and jeans.

Breakfast was the same as usual. I sat there picking my food. It's always the same red sludge from Chef. I can never get used to eating this meal.

I was finished with my breakfast and headed back to the cabin to do… whatever I want to do for today.

Maybe I should get out my DS. Haven't been on it since the Awake-a-thon, and I do enjoy playing Mario Kart on it. Fishing out my DS from my bag, I headed to the dock of shame to play it there. I feel more relaxed playing it by the water.

Playing these games again really brought up some memories. Who knew these games and gaming consoles would become so much bigger and powerful in the future.

I continued playing for a while until I heard footsteps coming from behind me. I turned back to notice Noah coming up to me.

"Hey Noah, what's up?" I said.

"I just came to ask you who you voted for, if you don't mind."

He wants to know my vote? Why? Well, it wouldn't hurt to tell I suppose. "I voted for Justin. He creeps me out that he doesn't talk. Not to mention he was using his looks to get what he wants."

"Really?" Noah said with a grin, "It doesn't have anything to replace him as the womanizer?"

"What? No! I just hate how he's using the girls here as his servant. It's not right."

"Whatever you say Codmeister."

"I'm serious," Time to change the subject, "Why are you asking me anyway?"

"It's just something I feel the need to do. Almost as if it's mandatory."

In other words, curiosity. "So who was your vote?"

"I voted for Justin like you."

"You voted for Justin too?" GAH! Izzy!

" _Where did she come from?_ " I said in my mind.

"Both of us did." Noah turned to her. Slightly unaffected.

""I don't trust the guy. He's always so…"

"Silent?"

"Bingo! Welp, I'm going to catch some fish with my toes. See ya." And she left us.

Noah and I then spotted Beth walking out of the girls cabin. Noah went up to her and I followed.

"Hi Beth." Noah said.

"Oh. Hi Noah."

"So, Cody and I were wondering how the voting went last night." He said, "And we were wondering who you voted for."

She paused for a bit. "Who did I vote for? Well, it, um, wasn't for Lindsay, I'll tell you that." She then chuckled nervously. "I… have to…uh… go to the restroom. Why do you care anyway? I don't bug _you_ about who _you_ voted for!" She then bolted off.

What was that all about? Why was she so hesitant?

Noah turned back to me and said, "I figured out the voting." According to him, it went like this.

Beth - Noah

Cody - Justin

Gwen - Justin

Heather - Noah

Izzy - Justin

Justin - Justin

Leshawna - Justin

Lindsay - Noah

Noah - Justin

Owen - Lindsay

Trent - Lindsay

Total: Justin (6); Noah (3); Lindsay (2)

Eliminated:Justin

Looks like Leshawna took my advice and voted off Justin. I need to thank her later. [1]

"Judging the way Justin acted when he was eliminated, he voted for himself," Noah explained.

"And if it weren't for me, you would've been our team's first goner," I grinned pointing to myself.

"Yes Cody, I am truly in the happiest point of my life thanks to you," Noah replied, with his sarcasm.

"No need to thank me. If you ever need my help, just come to me. The Codmeister is here for anyone."

"I thought you don't refer to yourself as the 'Codmeister'," he reminded me.

"Heh heh, kind of slipped out." I said sheepishly.

"Greetings campers! I hope you're all ready for your next challenge!"

"Seriously?" I said. Noah groaned in response.

There was a lot of moping and grumbling that could be heard across the campgrounds. After a while, we heard Chris's voice again.

"Psych! I got you guys good didn't I?"

There was more grumbling but also sighs of relief.

"I love messing with you guys. Enjoy your free day. Who knows? It might be your last!"

Why does Chris love to mess around with us? Easy, he's Chris Mclean, a narcissistic host that only cares about himself, his precious ratings, and his hair.

Noah then turned to leave. "Where're you going?" I asked him.

"I have some things to take care of." he replied and left.

Well looks like I'm alone again. Don't have anything else to do other than play on my DS some more. With that I went back to racing on my small screen.

I can't believe I'm saying this but… I sort of miss participating in these challenges. Yeah I know they're tortuous and are rather life threatening, but they gave me something to do.

Right now there isn't really anything for me to do today. Lindsay decided to hang out with Beth, Trent must be with Gwen, I don't know where Owen and Leshawna are, the Bass had their own plans, etcetera.

You know, thinking of the Bass reminds me of Courtney and Bridgette. I have a good guess that those two are hanging out together (either that or Bridgette's with Geoff) but maybe I could sneak in a chat with Courtney. I haven't chatted with her since I cuddled with her during the Awake-a-thon.

I just hope she forgot about it though, don't want her to feel uncomfortable around me still. Just hope she's not doing anything with Duncan.

God I can't get Duncan out of my mind! Ever since I had those dreams, I can't help but continue to think of all those god awful things that he'll eventually do. I still can't believe that Gwen would go behind her friend's back to make out with her boyfriend.

Granted, she said she thought they weren't dating anymore, but she should've talk first before she acted.

"Are you alright?" I heard someone saying that. I looked up from my DS to find Trent standing at the entrance with a look of concern.

"Excuse me?" I responded.

"You had a concerned look on your face. What's wrong? You're not worried that you'll get a game over are you?" He joked.

I stayed quiet for a moment, "It's… It's nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking of something. That's all."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing Trent! No need to pride into other people's head."

"Whoa calm down man! I'm just trying to look out for you."

I sighed, "Yeah I know, I'm just having stressful thoughts is all. It's nothing serious don't worry." I need to change the subject. I don't want to continue talking about this, "Where were you?"

"Oh me? I was hanging out with Gwen," Who would've thought, "She really is a cool girl. Turns out she's also a fine artist. She showed me some of her drawings today and they look great."

"Cool," him bringing up Gwen got me thinking, "Say Trent, have you ever seen Gwen try to push others away?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, I tried to talk with Gwen a few times. For example, back in the first challenge, I offered her my help to carry some wood for the hot tub. But she just told me to beat it."

Yeah, I didn't mention it before, but the hot tub challenge wasn't the only time I tried to chat with Gwen. During our first day off, I sat across from Gwen at the Gopher's table in the Mess Hall. However, she tried to avoid eye contact with me, and not in a shy way, but in an upset way. Then yesterday, on our way to the dodgeball court, I tried to chat with Gwen again, but she just gave me a glare and walk further ahead of me. I'm not trying to get Gwen as my girlfriend this time, but seeing her give me the cold shoulder is beginning to upset me. I didn't even do anything to make her feel uncomfortable around me like the first time.

Trent processed on what I have told him, "I think I get it," he said, "I think I notice Gwen giving you some glare yesterday. She doesn't seem to like you for some reason."

"But why though? I know she's a Goth, but she's pushing me away more than everyone else here."

"Yeah it is weird," Trent agreed, "You know what, I'm gonna ask Gwen tomorrow, on why she's hates you. She more comfortable around me, so she's sure to give me an answer."

"You'd do that?"

"Sure Cody. We're friends aren't we? It's like you said earlier, we need to accept help at certain points in our life."

"Thanks Trent. It really means a lot," I smiled.

"No problem Codmeister."

"Please don't call me that."

* * *

 **Confessional - Trent**

"I'm just as confused as Cody is. He hasn't done any harm to Gwen for all I know. The ones he's hanging out with the most are Lindsay, Bridgette, and Courtney. He became pretty tight with those three girls, and two of them just so happen to be on the other team. I'm impressed and a little jealous," he grin the last part, "But you know, I think he has potential to become a good friend for Gwen, but she seems to hate him for some weird reason. I'm going to have to ask her."

* * *

For the rest of the day, I chatted with Trent. I also got to chat with Noah during dinner time. It was a simple 'getting to know each other' chat. We talked mostly about trivial matters, such as what our schools were like, what TV shows we watched, what games we played, how our family are like, where we lived, and why we joined Total Drama Island.

"So that's why you're such a cynic all the time?" I asked. "Because of your family?"

"It's not really just my family per say, but you might as well can take a wild guess on how my school life is like," he responded.

"You're not the only one that's having bully trouble. When I was being bullied, I fought back with smiles and optimism. Over time I even began to believe in my mask, until something horrible happened."

"Well at least your life is better than mine, my parents barely acknowledge me. You're an only child, who just so happens to be the son of some rich people."

Oh yeah, I also told Noah that my family's rich as heck.

"Yeah but they do tend to spoil me, like, almost everyday. One of the reasons why I was so optimistic."

"And if I had to guess, something happened that broke your mask of optimism, right?"

"You have a beautiful mind, Noah." I said, complimenting the bookworm, "But yeah, something happened. I just don't feel comfortable talking about it."

"Whatever you say Codmeister."

"If you're going to continue calling me that, I'll have to call you the 'Noahmeister'." I joked.

"Because that's exactly what I need, a perfect nickname to describe my lust for woman," he responded.

"So you'll take it?"

"No."

* * *

It was almost bedtime. The rest of the gopher boys are in the cabin, but I'm trying to find a certain someone that I need to speak with.

I haven't spoke with Courtney for the past few days, ever since I accidentally cuddled with her (and Bridgette) during the Awake-a-thon, I thought that she'd feel uncomfortable being around me.

Aha, Bingo! I see Courtney coming out of the girls' cabin. I ran up to Courtney with a smile on my face.

"Courtney!" I called out to her, getting her attention. I caught up to her catching my breath, "Man am I glad to finally see you again; I've been having some tough days lately. You're probably one of my favourite person on this island currently."

Courtney didn't respond back though, instead she looks to be shaking, and her face looks conflicted.

I felt a bit curious and walked closer to her, "Court? Is everything alright?"

"Cody," she finally spoke, "We need to talk."

"Talk?" I asked, "Geez, you sound like if we're breaking up," She kept staring at me with a blank look.

"Cody! This is serious! We can't keep doing… well… doing this!" Courtney cried out, surprising me, "I don't know if you realized this Cody but I came here to win and ever since I started talking to you our team has done nothing but lose! And you still almost lost us yesterday's challenge as well! If my team sees me still talking with you, one of the reasons why we're on a losing streak, I'll be voted off! They won't even listen to me!"

I didn't say anything, nor did I move a muscle. I just stood there trying to understand what she's telling me.

She still sees me as an enemy? Not… a… friend?

She continued, "We can't… we can't talk anymore."

My face began to harden. My eyes glared at the ground. My hands curled into a tight fist. I felt anger, rage, betrayal, filling me up again.

"So… after everything we've done," I spoke silently, yet deadly, "The talks we had, our bonding, me helping you out with your eye problem… and yet… you still think I'm an enemy to you."

"What!? N-No that's not what-"

" **SAVE YOUR CRAP COURTNEY!** AFTER EVERYTHING WE DID, YOU STILL DON'T TRUST ME!? YOU THINK I WOULD GO AND BETRAY YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK!? THAT I WOULD ELIMINATE YOU FIRST SO I COULD WIN!?" I can't believe that Courtney would value money over others! What kind of girl is she!? "AND YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT YOUR TEAM WILL THINK ANY LESS OF YOU IF THEY SEE YOU TALKING WITH _ME!?_ SOMETHING BRIDGETTE DOES TOO!?

"H-hey don't bring-"

"All you care about is yourself! That you're the most perfected person in the world, and you think that anything you do, no matter how small it is, it just has to hurt your goddamn _fucking_ pride!"

"I'm aware I'm not perf-"

"I hope you have an awesome time with your awesome, radical, and _superior_ team. Don't even worry about me stuffing it up for you by being too friendly. 'CAUSE AT THIS POINT, I DON'T EVEN KNOW I COULD EVEN LOOK AT YOUR FACE!" And with that, I turned around and stalked into the woods.

Once I was deep enough, I sat down next to a tree and broke down in tears. I can't believe that Courtney still values only herself. Can't she ever relax than be on guard 24/7? What's wrong with that narcissistic CIT?!

Every good thing I ever thought of her now burns worse than any thought I had about Gwen and Duncan.

You know what? It's funny. I chuckled over something while still having tears going down my face. My chuckle then evolved into a full blown, slightly demented, laugh, over this demented wry thought that crossed my mind.

Perhaps Courtney and Duncan aren't such a bad match after all!

* * *

 **[1] See what I did there PurpleBandit3000? :p**

 **Anyways, I'm back! Sorry it took a little longer to post this chapter but I have my reasons.**

 **October was a month of a lot of work. For one, me and my family had moved to a new home. We finally managed to complete the move, but the moving process has totally drained a lot of my energy. There were a TON of old items and stuffs we didn't need, and we also needed time to organize, since the house we moved in is much smaller than our old house. This caused me to lose some motivation in writing my fanfiction. And don't forget that I also have schoolwork and a college portfolio to work on.**

 **But the great news is that I got my motivation back. It's like I said before, I'm not going to abandon this story like the other Cody time travelling stories. But don't forget that I have other important stuffs to do too.**

 **Anyway, see you in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 9 - Not quite Famous yet

**I'm back! Nothing else to say right now so let's get right to it!**

* * *

"Alright campers, enough beauty sleep! Time to show us what you're made of!" The booming sound of 'you-know-who' woke me up.

"Oh god…" I mumbled, slowly waking up.

The rest of the Gopher boys were slowly getting up too. Noah, Trent, and Owen. No Justin this time.

I didn't get much sleep last night, which was why I was still feeling more tired than usual. I stayed in the woods, crying and laughing to myself over what transpired with 'the other you-know-who'.

I mean, can you even believe that even this early on, she's still so narcissistic and overly competitive like in season three? Does she really see the rest of the world population as her enemy? That she's the only 'good guy' and we're all the bad guys? Even to her friends, best friend, boyfriend, lover, and even her own family? Is money and fame worth more to her than friends and family?

It's also the reason why I'm in a bad mood. I hate those type of people.

Anyway, we followed Chris to where he's leading us to. It was a big stage with two wooden bleachers that were situated next to each other. Chris then directed us to our designated seats. I sat next to Noah, who sat next to Owen.

"Gwen! Saved you a seat," Trent said. The Goth sat next to him.

I recalled how I tried to impress Gwen by sitting next to her looking 'cool'. I only embarrassed myself by toppling back.

"Welcome to our brand new deluxe state-of-the-art outdoor amphitheatre! Today's challenge is a summer camp classic: a talent contest!"

"Yes! Awesome!" Owen exclaimed.

"Each team has eight hours to pick their three most talented campers. These three will represent them in the show tonight. Sing, dance, juggle. Anything goes…as long as it's legal."

Duncan snapped his finger at the last part.

"You'll be judged by our resident scoutmaster, DJ, BJ, and rap legend: Grand Master Chef!" I never got the 'BJ' part, "Who'll show his approval via the Chef-o-Meter." Chris said as a rectangular meter with nine bars flashed across the stage. "The team that loses will send one camper home tonight. Good luck," The host then left the stage.

We decided to get breakfast first before we start auditioning.

Now that Justin is gone, I'm curious about who's going to be the third performer for our team. So far it Heather, Trent...

...Oh wait, Heather!

I completely forgot that Heather's going to read Gwen's diary during her performance. Not only will this make Gwen uncomfortable, but it'll cause us to lose too. I need to stop her.

But how?

We finished eating and went to our cabins to practice while the Killer Bass went to the stage.

Heather blew her whistle. Since when did she had a whistle? "Okay, I'm the team captain so here's how it's going to work."

"Wait, who said you were captain?" Gwen intervened.

"She did, just now," Lindsay said.

"Lindsay, Beth, and I took a vote and I won."

"Threatening to vote for you isn't exactly democratic," Exactly.

"Hey Gwen, snagged you a muffin." Trent appeared with a muffin in his hand. Gwen took it.

"Hey Trent, you're cool with me leading this project, right?" Heather asked.

"Can someone tell me why we even need a leader anyway?" I intervened before Trent could talk.

"We should choose by popular vote. Anyone who's interested in performing, please stand up," Heather said.

I got up along with Owen. Heather followed.

"Hey Lindsay, you said during the first challenge that you thought that this was going to be a talent contest. Got any talents?" I heard Noah ask.

"I'm a cheerleader at my high school. Maybe I can do a cheerleading routine!" Lindsay got up.

Beth followed up.

"Too bad Jake was voted off. He could have ripped off his shirt as an act." Lindsay said.

Noah followed soon after. Izzy next.

"I'll go first!" Owen volunteered.

He grabbed a soda bottle, chugged it down in one go and then burped out, "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZeeeeeeeeeed!"

"WOOHOO! YEAH!" The boys cheered for him, including me. The girls looked disgusted, besides Izzy.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to burp the entire alphabet in just one go?" Trent said.

"I can also do Beethoven's fifth," Owen said, as he bent over to fart.

"NOO!" we shouted. Even the boys sounded disgusted.

Gwen then got up and left.

"Where are you going?" Heather asked.

"Anywhere that's not here," Is the goth's respond.

You know, I think I need some alone time too. I got up to walk in the opposite direction.

"And what about you?" Heather asked me next.

"Ditto," is my response.

* * *

 **Confessional - Trent**

"Something must be wrong with Cody," Trent said in concerned. "He's been pretty upset and down since this morning. Did something happen to him?" he wondered, "I should probably ask him later."

* * *

I headed to the campfire pit and sat down on one of the stumps; leaning on my fist miserably as I blew some errant strands of hair out of his eyes. Man how I wish I could get away from it all. From all the drama that this damn show offers.

I never came here to make enemies, nor to win. I'm already in a very rich family, I have everything I really need. But the majority of the world's population only wants money and power. They don't care about their friends and family.

Some of the campers here are part of that majority, including Courtney. I should've known that Courtney was going to be a lost cause.

Well, it's not so bad. I mean, there are a few present that has a heart. Bridgette, Lindsay, Trent, Geoff, DJ, Leshawna, Gwen-

Oh right! I nearly forgot about the diary fiasco. I need to find a way to prevent Heather from reading her diary. What's even worse is that Queen Bee still managed to remain safe the first time.

I still don't get how she even did it. I mean, there was her alliance with Lindsay and Beth, but that's just three votes. I remember Heather bribing Owen with cake, he's a sucker for food after all. Then she mentioned that she got Leshawna to vote with her. Why would Leshawna vote with the person who read her friend's diary on National Television? Did she hypnotize Leshawna or something?

You know, maybe this could give me a good opportunity to vote her out. I could bribe Owen with an even bigger food offering, and get it through with Leshawna to vote her off. Yeah, I could do that.

But at a cost of still getting Gwen embarrassed.

I have two options. Do I keep Heather from reading Gwen's diary at the cost of keeping her in the game, or use this chance to get Heather voted off at the cost of Gwen feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable?

Both options have a pro and a con each, but which one outweighs the other?

...hmmm…

You know what, I'll just go with the flow. I'll keep Heather from participating, but in case it fails, I'll make sure she gets eliminated.

For now, I need to think of a talent I could perform. Heather does ballet, Trent plays his guitar, Owen can do… 'unique' acts, Izzy dances, Beth can do her baton skills, Lindsay possibly doing a cheerleading routine, but what can I do?

"Hi, Cody~" I heard someone call me, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up to see Lindsay making her way towards me.

Is it just me, or is she adding some 'sway' to her walk?

"Oh, hey Lindsay," I greeted back, "What are you doing here? I thought you were hanging with Heather."

"Oh don't worry. She just, like, needed to do something. I want to be with you more, Cody," She leaned forward, her face just an inch close to mine, while also resting her hands on her knees. Her large chest was dangling, I could see her cleavage from here, "Why are you here alone?"

"Well… Just thinking about some… things. I-It's nothing bad for sure, just some lifelong… thing," I lied at the last part. I didn't want to tell Lindsay what went down with Courtney.

"Oh. Well, you don't have to think alone and be, like, sad."

"I'm not sad-"

I could've continued if I wasn't physically interrupted. By that, I mean feeling something heavier on my lap. Lindsay is sitting on my lap and is… snuggling me?!

She wrapped her arms around my neck. Now, this wasn't a bad thing per say, but my face was burning up from being this close to her. Especially for the fact that her giant badonkadonks are right in front of my eyes. I swear if she's trying to work up my hormones again, she's doing a really good job.

I should break the silence, "So, Lindsay, you plan to try out for the contest. Right?"

"Oh yeah. I really, like, hope that I get to perform. I really really really want to perform for my friends. Especially you, Cody."

Did she just say that she's just going to perform for… me?

"Uhh, thanks?" I said forcing a smile.

"Hmhm, no problem."

Another awkward silence commences. Well, to me anyway. Lindsay just seems to be enjoying this weird moment. My hormones are still acting up nearly making my you-know-what go erect.

Please stay down, please stay down, don't ruin this for me.

"Lindsay, come in. What did you find out? Over."

Wait, what was that? Sounded like Heather just now.

"Lindsay! Where are you?!"

Just then, Lindsay quickly pulled out a walkie-talkie from behind. She said into it, "Um, I'm on my way! Under."

She turned it off and put it away, leaving me confused.

"Sorry, Cody. I really want to be with you some more, but I, like, need to go somewhere else!" Before she left, she did something that shocked me even more. She leaned in and kissed me on my cheek!

"Bye!" she said before running off.

My body just, like, froze. Just like that. I tried to process what just happened a few seconds ago. The blonde bombshell who I had befriended, the one that I offered to help her with her name problems, the one who likes Tyler, kissed me on my cheek!

I slowly raised my left hand to the spot where Lindsay had kissed me. I know that she's not that dumb to kiss different boys everywhere she goes, she kisses those she likes more than a friend.

How can I tell what type of kiss that was? I've seen it and felt it before. From my parents, on the internet, and from Sierra.

And the way she was just acting, she didn't get close to me the way Sierra does it. She did it in a calm manner. Lindsay's always tries to prevent herself from creeping out on those she's forward with.

This could prove many things, but I'm not going to go that far right now. I need more time to think this through.

With that, I got up from my stump and made my way back to camp.

* * *

By the time I returned back I noticed a burned hole in the ground.

"I kind of missed the catching class," I heard Beth say something.

"I would love to burn down that stupid amphitheatre, but we would lose the contest. Sorry, Beth," Noah said.

"That'sh okay."

"Hey, guys, what happened here?" I asked making myself known.

"Little accident," Trent said.

"Me next! Me next!" Lindsay called out.

She had some pom-poms on her hands as she did her cheerleading routine. I didn't really want to look at Lindsay for the moment, due to what happened earlier.

"That was pretty good," I heard Trent say. Her dance must've finished.

It was unanimously decided that Lindsay should be the second of three people that would take part in the talent show.

Heather was next with a ballet performance. Her ballet was alright, but she isn't planning to do that tonight.

Trent, Leshawna, Beth and Lindsay wanted her to perform, while Izzy, Owen, Noah and I didn't.

"My dance was way better than her's," Izzy said.

"But Izzy, you said you didn't want to perform," Noah said. Did I miss something?

"Ballet is pretty boring," Owen commented.

"Heck yeah!" Owen said.

"Guys, stop fighting," Leshawna stepped in between them. She then said, "Heather, you're on the waitlist."

"Waitlist? What is this, Canada's Got Talent?"

"Let's wait until all the other people have performed," Leshawna then turned to me, "Cody, you said you wanted to try out, right?"

I was about to reply until Gwen showed up, interrupting my thoughts.

She looked down at the burnt hole, "I won't even ask," she jumped over the hole and continued for the cabin.

Now, still being the gentlemen I am, like the first time, I decided to rush ahead and open the door for Gwen.

"Look! The first hook-up of the season," Taunted Heather.

Before Gwen could speak, I talked first, "Oh sure, my act of being a gentleman definitely sealed the deal."

Gwen looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

* * *

 **Confessional - Gwen**

"Alright, seriously, what's up with him?" Gwen said feeling frustrated, "What's going on in that head of his? He's like two different people in one body."

* * *

She came back out in her bathing suit, looking rather frustrated for some reason. But when was she never frustrated?

Trent then went up to her, "Gwen! Wait up! I'll come with you."

"Sure!" Gwen said, "I mean, whatever."

The two head for the dock to swim. I stayed behind.

"Hey, dude. You wanna go swimming too?" Owen asked me.

"Nah I'm fine. Go enjoy yourself," I headed back to my cabin.

I decided for my audition that I'll play my keyboard. Surely everyone will enjoy my keyboard playing. I can't let Heather perform. If I fail, she's leaving.

You know, it just occurred to me. If Heather leaves, that would most likely leave Lindsay and Beth distraught that their alliance leader is gone. They will not know what to do in the future since Heather was calling all the rules.

Maybe I can help them out. I could possibly replace Heather as their leader; it would make things a lot better.

But that's only if Heather gets eliminated tonight.

Anyway, I got out my keyboard and returned back to the others. The break was over by the way.

This means that Heather has the diary! Shit! I have to make sure she doesn't perform.

"There are only two hours left people! It's time for the remaining people to try out," Heather said.

I went up.

"What's your talent, geek," Queen Bee asked.

"Keyboard playing, check this out!" I said before playing my instrument. I played an electric and upbeat version of 'Flight of the Bumblebee'. It got everyone's attention rather quickly. When I finished playing I received an outstanding ovation.

"That was awesome!" Trent said, "I knew you were great at playing!"

"Nice," Noah commented.

"Yeah, no," from Heather.

"No?"

"We already have an instrument performance, we don't need a second one."

"Come one Heather," Trent tried to reason, "One more act music act won't hurt."

"Oh no. If anyone's going to be the final act, it's me," Heather said.

"Then what was the point of me even auditioning in the first place?" I asked incredulously.

"Guys stop fighting," Leshawna intervened again. She then turned to me, "Tell ya what short stuff, we'll save you as a backup act just in case."

"Better than nothing," I commented.

I went to sit back down. Noah went up to try out last.

"I'd like to recite one of my most favourite orations."

"An oration? Are you kidding me?"

"I'll have you know, Heather, that I received an A+ for this very oration."

"This isn't some high school assignment, bookworm, it's a talent show. There's no way Chef will like some dumb recitation."

Noah ignored her and recited his oration. It was the 'To be, or not to be' soliloquy from Hamlet. It was pretty good.

"I'll have to wear a costume when I perform."

"What makes you think you'll get picked?"

The votes were six to three. Me, Owen, Trent, Izzy, Leshawna and Gwen wanted him in. Heather, Beth and Lindsay thought otherwise.

"I guess I'm in," Noah said.

"Wait! I want a re-vote. I should be in! Me!" Heather said.

"Okay, fine. We'll have a revote. Whoever wants Heather in, raise their right hand. Whoever wants me in, raise their left."

Of the eight hands raised, six were those of the 'left' variety. The votes remained the same.

"Told you I'm in," Noah told Ms. Popular. Awesome! Heather is out, she'll won't be able to read Gwen's diary this time!

Trent, Lindsay, and Noah went to practice for the show. I went back to the cabin and laid down on my bed, waiting for the show to begin.

I'm a little disappointed that I wasn't chosen. But as long as Heather isn't performing, then it's fine.

"Alright campers! I hoped you picked your three best performers, because it's time to get this talent show on the road," Chris announced through the loudspeaker.

I went and sat in the Gopher bleachers with the other Gophers. I sat a row behind Gwen.

"Welcome to the very first Camp Wawanakwa talent contest! Where six campers will showcase their mad skills and desperately try not to humiliate themselves."

Lindsay and Noah will be replacing Justin and Heather this time around. This should be interesting.

"First up for the Screaming Gophers, is Noah!"

Noah walked onto the stage, wearing a shirt with billowed sleeves and black pants. He was also holding a fake dagger and held it up when he reached centre stage. After clearing his throat a few times, he began to orate.

 _To be, or not to be-that is the question:_

 _Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer_

 _The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune_

 _Or to take arms against a sea of troubles_

 _And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep-_

 _No more-and by a sleep to say we end_

 _The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks_

 _That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation_

 _Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep-_

 _To sleep-perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,_

 _For in that sleep of death what dreams may come_

 _When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,_

 _Must give us pause. There's the respect_

 _That makes calamity of so long life._

 _For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,_

 _Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely_

 _The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,_

 _The insolence of office, and the spurns_

 _That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,_

 _When he himself might his quietus make_

 _With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,_

 _To grunt and sweat under a weary life,_

 _But that the dread of something after death,_

 _The undiscovered country, from whose bourn_

 _No traveller returns puzzles the will,_

 _And makes us rather bear those ills we have_

 _Than fly to others that we know not of?_

 _Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,_

 _And thus the native hue of resolution_

 _Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,_

 _And enterprise of great pitch and moment_

 _With this regard, their currents turn awry_

 _And lose the name of action. - Soft you now,_

 _The fair Ophelia! - Nymph, in thy orisons_

 _Be all my sins remembered._

Noah concluded by sheathing his fake dagger and bowing to the audience. Everyone clapped, including me.

"Cool speech Noah," Chris said as he walked on stage, "Let's see what Grandmaster Chef thinks of it!"

The meter at the top of the stage filled up to six bars out of ten.

"A six. Not bad."

"A six!? Are you kidding? That's total bullcrap!" Noah complained

"Arguing with me will not increase your score! Now go sit down!" Chris shoved the bookworm off the stage.

He left the stage and back to the bleachers, sitting down next to me.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"It all seems like a blur at the moment. I feel like I sped through it," Noah answered.

"First up for the Killer Bass, make some noise for the big guy. DJ!"

Like the first time, DJ did a ribbon dance. He's doing a good job at it, but it's hard for males to dance elegantly like that. Even if it's DJ doing it. He messed up at the end when the ribbon got caught in his legs, and he failed to recover after that.

The Killer Bass still clapped for him.

"Dainty, yet masculine, let see what Grand Master Chef thinks."

The bar lit up to four out of ten.

"Not much. So with two down and four acts to go, it's the Screaming Gophers screaming ahead."

Sweet, we're in the lead. Let's hope we keep the lead.

"Next up, let's hear it for Trent! Take it away bro!"

Trent walks out with his guitar to the applause of the Gophers.

"This one goes out to someone special here at camp," he explained before he began to play.

It was a love song for an anonymous person here at camp. I already knew who that person is by the way. Still the song was cool.

 _"They say we've only got summer._

 _And I say that's really a bummer._

 _But we'll swim in the sun and have lots of fun._

 _It'll just be the two of us._

 _Nothing to do just hang._

 _So, let me say only this._

 _Stick around for just one kiss."_

We all clapped for Trent's act.

"Nice work dude. I'm liking your style. And so does Grandmaster Chef!" He had received a seven for his performance. Nicely done man.

"Alright, quit hogging my light, buddy!" Chris shoved him off much like he had done with Noah.

Trent high-fived the rest of the guys and sat down in the bleachers next to Gwen. The loner tried to look indifferent, but I knew how she felt.

"Three down and three to go. The Gophers are still ahead. Will the Bass do just as well? Let's find out. Give it up for Bridgette!"

After a little bit of waiting, Bridgette entered the spotlight doing a handstand. She looked rather uncomfortable doing it for some reason. She let out a burp.

Oh no... I know what's going to happen.

"BRACE YOURSELF!" I yelled out, but it was too late.

The surfer began to vomit all over! It was intense I tell ya! She vomited on Owen, Noah, Leshawna, Tyler, Harold, DJ, Katie and Sadie, almost everyone here.

I was hit next. OH GOD GROSS!

"HEY! PUKE ON YOUR OWN BOYFRIEND!" Lindsay shouted.

Wait, what did she say?

"Huh?" I stuttered.

"What," Bridgette said before vomiting even more. She then began to slip on her own vomit and went flying!

"BRIDGETTE!" I yelled out. I rushed off the bleachers to catch her. I broke her fall, only to lay flat on the ground underneath her.

"Sorry," Bridgette groaned.

"No problem," I groaned.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"At least I was gentlemen enough to save her," I said, covered in vomit.

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"Hmph, if Brianna thinks she can steal my future boyfriend, I'll need to get him first."

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"What did Lindsay mean by, 'boyfriend'?" Bridgette asked confused.

* * *

"Clean up in aisles three, four, five and six. In the meantime, we'll take a short break to hose the joint down," Chris said.

Bridgette got off of me and I got up after.

"Are you alright, Bridgette?" I asked.

"No, I feel god-awful," she replied.

I guided her to the stage stairs and had her sit down. I offered her a message in an attempt to comfort her. She accepted my offer and I went ahead.

Maybe I should tell her a story of mine, "You know Bridgette, I had something similar happen to me one time."

"You puked on stage and embarrassed yourself in front of millions," she grumbled, wiping her mouth and spitting out her vomit.

"Oh no, it was much worse. You see, I had stage fright at one point in my life. Completely over it now. But this one time, I was part of the tech crew for a school play. During the performance, the lights went out, and I was told to check up on it. I was pushed on-stage to do so, and when my head turned towards the audience, I puked immediately."

Bridgette couldn't help but laugh. "Not even a performer, and you hurled. That is bad."

"Yeah. So don't worry about it, Bridge. You're not alone."

What I just told actually happened. It was back in seventh grade and I was a member of my school's tech team at the time. We were in charge of all the tech stuff for the play, and they forced me to fix that one light that went out. They had to pause the play for like twenty to thirty minutes before resuming again. I became the laughing stock in my school for three weeks!

I got over my fear of stage fright by performing with my keyboard a few times. First in front of a mirror, then in front of my mom and dad, then in front of the rest of my family, and soon on the internet. My fear was wiped out before I attended TDI the first time.

"What are you doing?!" Oh man, not her again.

I turned to see Courtney standing next to us, arms crossed and looking cross. When was she never cross?

"Bridgette, what are you doing with the enemy?" she scolded at her friend.

"He offered me a message, Courtney. I needed it!" Bridgette grumbled.

"Then why not ask someone from our team to do it and not someone like him?" I'm right here you know.

"Still standing by what you said last night, huh Court'," I said, letting go of Bridgette.

"I don't have time for this, come on Bridgette, we need you back," she turned back around and headed back to her team.

Bridgette got up to follow. She turned back to me quickly and said, "Thanks, Cody, I really needed that."

"Don't mention it, Bridgette," I replied.

* * *

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"I managed to overhear Courtney's argument with Cody last night," Bridgette said rather upset, "Is she actually so full of herself to think that everyone is an enemy? Cody was nothing horrible but a kindhearted and cute boy. He's only trying to form a friendship with her. But no, she rejects him saying that he's still an enemy because he's 'on the other team'," she air quoted the last part, "Well I'll just prove her wrong by hanging out with him some more."

 **Confessional - Courtney**

"What is Bridgette thinking?" Courtney complained, "She can't just go and hang out with him. He's, well, an enemy! On the other team! If she wants to hang out with someone, why not hang out with other boys like, well, Geoff or DJ?"

* * *

I went back to my bleacher's just in time to be drenched by Chef's big garden hose. Along with everyone else.

"Welcome back to the Total Drama Island Talent Show Extravaganza! Bridgette's puke-fest registered a five by Grandmaster Chef! But the Gophers are still leading," Chris is right. The score is currently 13 to 9 for the Gophers, "Two-thirds of this contest has passed, so let's get down to the last final third. The Gopher's final act, Lindsay!"

Lindsay entered the stage wearing a cheerleading outfit. She was currently wearing a pair of red short-shorts with a miniskirt and a cheerleader shirt with an L on the front which was obscured by her large chest. She was also holding 2 pom-poms in her hands. She began her chant.

"Gophers, Gophers, we're the best! We'll put those Bass to the test! Those Killer Bass, they really suck! They won in dodgeball because of luck! Gophers, Gophers, sure can Scream. We are TD's greatest team! Gophers, Gophers, we got class! Tonight, we're gonna kick some Bass! Gooooooooooooo Gophers!"

I just stared blatantly at Lindsay, not because of her words but because of her... well...

Okay, you know what happens when someone like me watches a cheerleader with large boobs jumps up and down? Well, those certain parts jump's up and down a lot, and I have a high hormone level so...

I began to get another erection, a larger one this time. And I felt blood coming out of my nose.

I hopped out of the bleachers and headed straight for the bathrooms.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Well..." I said while holding a tissue to my nose, "I guess I can confirm my thoughts from earlier."

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"EEEEE! Did you see the way Cody reacted to my act?!" Lindsay squealed with happiness, "it means he-"

* * *

I returned by the time Chris announced the final act. I also heard that Lindsay scored a six. Our final score sits at 19.

"The Killer Bass only have nine points. Their last act will need to blow Chef away as they need a perfect score of ten. The final act for the Bass is Geoff! Let's see if he can pull this off."

I was rather looking forward to seeing his act. I wonder what he's planning.

We waited for the party man to come out, but the stage was empty for a bit. Some whispered wondering where he is. Myself included.

After a while of waiting, someone finally took the stage. It wasn't Geoff though, but rather Harold.

"Harold? Pfft. We totally got this in the bag," I heard Owen said.

"Who won the last challenge, genius?" Noah asked him.

After those words, the bleachers remained silent as we waited for Harold to begin.

Man, we were all shocked by what we just heard.

Harold performed some sick wicked beat-boxing. It lasted for almost a minute before finishing off with a 'booyah'. You know you're act is awesome when everybody in the audience cheers on you.

"Wicked beat-boxing dude!" Said the host, "Check it out. Grandmaster Chef gives you the full ten points, making you the best act of the six!"

The Bass celebrated in victory. Then, Courtney and Bridgette went to hug Harold and the rest of the Bass came to congratulate him.

Why do I feel jealous that he's getting hugged by those two? I shouldn't be.

"So the scores are now tied."

The cheering had died down.

"For the tie-breaker, both teams must choose one last contestant to participate in the talent show! So go ahead and choose. You get ten minutes to decide."

The Gophers regrouped to decide.

"Obviously I should perform. I deserve to be on that show," Heather boasted.

"Izzy should go!" Noah shouted.

"I've already told you that I'm not going and that is final!" The redhead screamed. What did I miss?

"I'll go!" I shouted gaining attention, "I know my talent will bring us the win."

"Oh no, we're not having another instrumental act. I'm going!" Heather tried to persist.

"You realize that your talent is a dance right? Lindsay also did a dance," I argued. I can't allow Heather to perform. But at least we'll vote her off if she does.

"My dance is way better than your keyboard skills, you know," Heather argued.

I snorted, "Really? As far as I remember, I received a higher standing ovation from our team when I auditioned."

"Guys, stop arguin!" Leshawna intervened, "Let's take a vote."

Noah, Owen, Izzy, Trent, and Leshawna voted for me. Heather got Lindsay, Beth, and Gwen's vote. Why did Gwen voted for Ms. Popular?

"Guess I'm in then," I smirked at Heather. She growled in frustration but I ignored it. I ran back to the cabins to get my keyboard. I got back just in time.

Chris was standing in the centre, "I see the Gophers picked you," he told me. I ignored him while getting set up.

The Bass chose Tyler to perform. Wonder what he's going to do.

* * *

 **Confessional - Tyler**

"Lindsay told me the other day that she's not into me. That sucked a lot," Tyler said in a complaint. He then looked confident, "But I'm not going to let it slide. If I perform my awesome yo-yo skills, I'm sure I'll get her attention."

* * *

"Alright, here's how it's going to work," Chris began to explain, "both of you will do your performances at the same time. The one that Chef think is better will win the challenge. As for the losers, someone is going home."

Tyler and I are going to perform together? This might turn into a mess.

I put on 'dubstep' mode on my keyboard and readied myself to play. Tyler got out a yo-yo. Looks like he'll be doing some yo-yo tricks with it.

"Aaaand GO!" Chris shouted.

Tyler began to do tricks with his yo-yo. He started with the 'Walking-the-Dog' trick. I began playing my song.

It's a dubstep song called Weapon. Since I'm a tech geek, I was able to program and fine tune my keyboard to play it in a dubstep style.

It feels like that I'm performing again with the Drama Brothers. My attention was solely on the keyboard, paying attention to which key to press. I didn't make any mistake, however. I breezed through the entire song like a kid on a waterslide.

Once I finished, I froze with my hands on the keyboard still. I looked at the audience seeing them all shocked. I turned to Tyler who also finished but also looks shocked.

"WOOOOOHOOOOOO!"

"YEEAAAHHHH!"

I was met with a massive round of applause from everyone around me. Maybe even more than Harold's. It made me feel good.

"CODY! That was some of the sickest, most radical instrument performance I ever saw! You're definitely a key factor for the ratings, dude!" Chris complimented.

I smiled a wide smile.

"But the judging is still in the hands of Grandmaster Chef's. And according to him, the winner is..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Tyler! By a single point!" huh? "The Killer Bass tramples the Screaming Gopher's again!"

The Bass cheered as Tyler made his way off stage. They crowded around him congratulating him.

"Gophers, pick your favourite loser, and then I'll see you at the bonfire."

I walked off stage and back to my team.

"EEEE! CODY! You were amazing!" The next thing I knew, I was pulled into another bear hug, and my face met the bombshell's bazookas again.

I was released and everyone else came to congratulate me.

"Dude! That was so awesome! WOOHOO!" Owen shouted.

"That was incredible!" Trent said.

"Izzy approves!"

"Not bad," Noah smirked.

"Yeah but, I still lost..." I said sadly.

"Hey don't worry short stuff. None of us blame ya here," Leshawna tried to console me, "Just that mean 'ol Chef don't know what real talent is."

"Yeah man. If anyone's a winner, it's you."

Owen then farted. We covered our nose in disgust and rushed away.

* * *

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"Is it wrong of me to say that I wanted Cody to win instead of Tyler?" Bridgette asked, "I mean, did you see how he played that keyboard?! It was amazing! I knew Cody is really nice and all, but that talented?! I have to be better friends with him!"

 **Confessional - Courtney**

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we won the contest," Courtney paused for a moment, "BUT WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Despite not winning, I feel proud of myself. I got up there on stage and showed everyone that I mean serious business. Also, I learned a few things today: Lindsay likes me more than friends, Bridgette might like me more than friends, Courtney's trying to prove herself, and Gwen still hates me for some reason."

* * *

It was voting time for my team. I headed to the bonfire ceremony where everyone else was.

Once it was my turn, I headed to the voting booth to vote.

* * *

 **Voting Booth - Cody**

"I'm voting for Heather. She's most likely not going home tonight, but I don't really like her. Besides, I have to be really dumb to vote myself off."

* * *

"Kudos to you all for an incredible night of entertainment!" Chris began, "Music, drama, and barfing. They will make for good ratings. I have only nine marshmallows on this plate. When I call your name, come claim your marshmallow. The person whose name does not get called must immediately walk the Dock of Shame, board the Boat of Losers and go home. And you can't come back. Ever. The marshmallows go to…"

"Trent."

"Beth."

"Gwen."

"Leshawna."

"Izzy."

"Noah."

"Heather."

"Lindsay."

Now I was panicking. I was in the bottom two. Shit! It looks like some of them voted for me for not winning. Heather being one of them for sure.

"And the last marshmallow goes to…"

He paused for a very long while. Owen had a worried look. I was sweating bullets. But after a long while, the final camper safe is...

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...Cody!" Yes!

Sighing in relief, I rushed over to claim my marshmallow. Like the first time, it tasted delicious.

Owen sulked. Poor guy. He had received the first marshmallow after the previous challenge, but now, he had not received a marshmallow at all.

I walked over to him, "Sorry Owen, you don't deserve being eliminated this early."

"Aw, don't worry about it, man. You deserve to be safe. Unfortunately, I'll won't live to tell the tale," Owen said.

"Time to catch the Boat of Losers, bra!" Chris interrupted.

"Later bra!" Heather taunted, chewing on her marshmallow.

Owen was going to head to his room to get his stuff when Chris told him that Chef had already packed it and that the stuff was now on the Boat of Losers.

"I'll miss you all waaaaaaaaaaaah!" Owen began to wail.

I had a chocolate bar with me. I'll give him that, "Hey, Owen! Take this with you!"

I tossed him the bar and he caught it as he was leaving.

"I don't wanna leave. I wanna stay here and com-oh! Is this a chocolate bar?" The big teen chomped down on the candy bar as the rest of us headed back to our cabins.

"So it's down to us three guys, huh? Man, why do the males keep getting voted off on our team?" Trent asked.

"Who knows?" Noah replied, climbing into my bed.

That's when I remembered, "Say, Trent, did you ask Gwen today anything about me while you two hanged out?"

"I tried asking her what she has against you, but she didn't answer. I changed the subject before things got awkward," Trent replied.

"I guess that's better than nothing," I said, "Thanks anyway."

"No problem. I'm gonna try again tomorrow anyway," the guitarist then climbed into bed. I climbed into mine.

I managed to prevent Heather from reading Gwen's diary. But Owen's eliminated. I hope things turn out well later on.

* * *

 **So it seems like Cody's has his first love interest, Lindsay. And it looks like we'll be getting our second one soon, in the form of another blonde. Courtney is still trying to act as if Cody's an enemy for stupid reasons though. Noah performed a soliloquy from _Hamlet_ rather than from _Julius_ _Ceasar_ , and lastly, we got to see a huge mix of Cody's talents.**

 **If you're curious, the songs I chose are _Flight of the Bumblebee_ by Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov, and _Weapon - M4SONIC_.**

 **Anyway, I'm going to slide away from TD: CR for a bit and focus on a TD one shot next time.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though. I'll see you next time.**


	11. Chapter 10 - More intense backstory

**If you're reading this in 2018, well then... HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

 **Alright, let's get right to it!**

* * *

Am I glad that I performed? Yes. Am I glad to receive an astounding ovation? Yes. Am I glad that Chef chose Tyler's talent over mine? No. Am I glad to still remain safe? Yes. Am I glad that Noah, Trent, and Lindsay are safe too? Yes. Am I glad that Owen's gone? No.

I'm still confused on why Owen was eliminated instead. He didn't perform like the four of us, so there wasn't any reason for to be eliminated.

I wonder how Izzy feels about him gone.

Anyway, I woke up by the time I heard Trent say, "It's day number nine! My favourite!"

Of course, I knew why it's his favourite day.

I yawned getting up, "Morning to you too, Trent."

"Huh? Oh, morning Cody. Slept well?"

"Yeah, a little. I'm still getting over what happened yesterday," Then it just occurred to me, "Say, Trent, sorry if I'm getting personal, but who did you vote for last night?"

"I voted for Owen. I had someone else in mind, but then Owen farted. I don't think I could handle anymore of those. His stench takes like an hour to clear."

That's why Owen was eliminated? Because of his farting? I guess that made sense, after all his farting was getting out of hand.

Hold on, he said Owen wasn't his first choice, "Who was your first choice?" I asked.

Trent seemed hesitant to tell, "Uhh, maybe we should get ready now."

"Oh, okay then," the two of us headed out of the cabin then.

* * *

 **Confessional - Trent**

"If it wasn't for Owen's farts, I would've voted for Lindsay. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but she's so braindead that she doesn't realize what's going on half the time, or how things work here," Trent explained, "During the dodgeball challenge, she didn't know what to do when the rules are in the name. So she wouldn't be much use in more complex challenges. The problem is that she likes Cody, a lot actually, and Cody seems to like her too, despite his denial. So I'm worried that I'll cause a problem if I vote one of them out."

 **Confessional - Cody**

"So Trent used Owen's farting excuse to keep me safe. I guess he felt sorry for me that I lost the tie breaker. I have a good feeling that I'm in the bottom two because of Heather and her alliance, though," I thought for a moment, "After all, I wasn't able to win it for my team. Really though, how come I lost?"

 **Confessional - Chef**

"I don't really like electro music. To overplayed and sounds confusing."

* * *

Trent and I finished getting dressed and headed for the Mess Hall. We heard some murmuring coming from inside. We headed inside to see what's up.

I was in for a horrible surprise.

In the middle of the Cafeteria, some words had been written. The substance used for the writing was ketchup. It read:

'GWEN'S DIARY OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED'

There was also a red arrow pointing to a dark green book, which I knew it was her's. On top of the book was a page that had been ripped out, and I was 99.99999 percent sure that it was from her diary.

I don't know what to make of this, and neither did anyone else here. Oh man! I had completely forgotten that Heather still had the diary with her.

Apparently, me preventing Heather's performance wasn't enough to stop her from revealing Gwen's secrets.

Dammit! Why didn't I think of that?!

Everyone continued to whisper on what to make of this. That was until Gwen arrived.

Her body froze in fear as she saw her diary open in the centre of the room, also frightened that everyone is looking at it. She was about to and grab it until someone broke the silence.

"My my my, what do we have here?" Someone said. It was Chris. Oh no… this is becoming a whole lot worse.

He went up to the diary and picked up the torn page. Knowing Chris all too well, he's going to read the page to gain more tension and drama. Oh shit…

"Dear diary, today some loser played his guitar thinking it woo me. It was charming really. His music sucked. I would have told it right to his face, but I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. I hope he stops bothering me and minds his own business. There's no way I'd fall for some lame loser like him. How did his crappy guitar song get a seven from Chef? It was complete and total garbage. Barf."

Chris paused.

"Wow, Gwen. That's pretty harsh," He said. No frickin' way.

I know from the first that that's not what's she had wrote. She wrote in their that she has a crush on Trent, not how he's becoming an annoyance to her. That annoying person is me. Or at least WAS me.

I glanced at Trent who was standing next to me. He heard the whole damn thing. His face was filled with a mixture of anger and depression. He turned to the exit and was about to leave when Gwen ran up to him and blocked his path.

"Trent, I didn't actually write that."

"Really?" Chris asked. He examined another page from the diary, "The handwriting looks spot-on."

"It wasn't me. I'll prove it. What I actually wrote is still in the diary!" Gwen exclaimed.

She grabbed the book from Chris's hands and flipped through it. She came to the latest page, but there was a problem. There was no page. It was torn out. And the page that was already torn out fit perfectly into this section.

"Coincidence? I think not!" Chris said. I think I have an idea on who did this.

"Trent, I didn't do it! I swear!"

"It's alright Gwen. You don't have to act all innocent. I know how you really feel," Trent said. He then stormed off.

I never recalled seeing him so angry.

"YOU!"

I looked back at Gwen who pointed and was glaring at me.

"Uh, yeah Gwen?" I asked confused.

"I have a good feeling it was you! You try to get all the girls here for yourself including me!" Wait… WHAT!? "I can see it happening, you snuck into my cabin, grabbed my diary, mimicked my handwriting and made me look like the bad guy, in hopes you'll make ME feel guilty so you can comfort me so you can get into my pants!"

Everyone had their eyes on me. Even Lindsay, Bridgette, and Courtney. I felt my eye twitch at the god awful assumption that Gwen made on me.

"What?!..." I said in silence, but with venom.

"You'd think I'd buy that with how you-"

" **KEEP THAT GODDAMN MOUTH SHUT! GWEN FAHLENBOCK!** "

She froze, again. But this time in fear. Her words died seem to have died. She looked shocked and horrified as my face bore an expression that would kill. Good, she needs to hear this from me.

I can also tell that everyone else bore a stunned face, but I didn't care, my focus is on Gwen and only Gwen, "C-Cody, I d-didn't-"

" **YOU HONESTLY THINK ON GODS NAMED EARTH THAT I WANT TO WOO SOME GIRLS?! THAT I'M LIKE SOME HOT SEXY LATINO JERK WHO USES MY OH-SO MANLY CHARMS AND HOT BODY TO GAIN ADVANTAGE OVER?! YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THAT I WOULD BREAK A GIRLS HEART SO I COULD GET THAT GIRL INTO LIKING ME?! I DON'T HAVE ANY SORT OF PLAN LIKE THAT! NONE!** "

This was by far the loudest I'm ever lashing out at someone. I know I'm being too hard on Gwen, but what she said really broke the camel's back. I need to tell her that I mean well; I'm not the same ladies man wannabe I was the first time.

"I never had any sort of plan to get myself a girlfriend here on this show! Especially since I have no chance whatsoever with any of these girls! Not those like Lindsay, Bridgette, Heather, Leshawna, Beth, Izzy, and a certain High-Strung Mocha skinned Brunette which I'll not bother mentioning her name! YOU. ARE. NO. EXCEPTION! My sole reason for even coming here to this show, which I already know will bring out the worst in all of us, is to make friends and to win, mostly the former! I don't have any plans to bring anyone into a false sense of security! I don't have any sort of plan! But no, that's not how you see me!"

I paused to catch my breath. My throat began to hurt but I didn't care, I need to get this all out.

* * *

By now everyone in the Mess Hall was either awestruck, scared, confused, or amazed. I know I yelled and shouted a few times already, but nothing on this level. No longer were they focused on the diary reveal, everyone's acknowledgement were on me. Lindsay looked rather scared and I don't blame her, she's innocent and doesn't like see people shout like that. Bridgette stood there also awestruck, but not as scared as Lindsay. I guess she saw this coming after I told her about my past. Noah didn't show his look due to his nature, but he raised one of his eyebrows at my behaviour.

* * *

I got back my breath back before continuing.

"Ever since I offered you help during the hot tub building challenge, you treated me like shit, pushing me away whenever I offered you help or to have a simple chat with you! Even when Trent asked you what your deal is with me, you glared at him just by mentioning my name! I know you're a goth and it's your nature to be a sarcastic loner, but that nature of yours doesn't seem to stop you from hanging out with Trent and/or Leshawna! I didn't do anything to you to make you wary of me. What did you expect?! Me smelling your hair?! Me trying to steal your bra?!" Oh man, why did I have to bring up these examples? I'm getting mental images of those times, "Even now I can tell, you still see me as a hormonal geek who just wants to get into a women's pants, insert my dick into her vagina, and fuck her until she becomes pregnant with my child! I'm not a rapist! I don't view women as mere tools for a man's pleasure!" I hissed menacingly in front of Gwen. I would've been eye-to-eye with her if I were her height, "You-You have no right to discuss anything about me! Wh-What the hell do you even know about me, anyway!? Jack shit! Because if you did, you would know that I've been a good sport since the beginning of this game!

"Before I came here, I've taken years, so many years of constant bullying, teasing, beat ups, and god awful mistreatment! Including every belittling comment, every threat, every beat ups, and every psychotic mood swings! I only managed to keep going with my life through this naive and optimistic nature I once had! I've taken it all without any means of protest, because I was once that kind of guy! But now when I saw the truth of reality, the idiocy of these stereotypical lifestyles and high school cliques, well, I'm sure you can guess where this went."

By now, I just said everything I needed to say. All this anger, bottled up in my small and skinny body, had been released. It was the release from everything that has happened the first time. From Gwen rejecting me, to me getting mauled by a bear, to seeing all my friends being eliminated one by one in World Tour, to Courtney belittling me, to Gwen choosing Duncan over me, for Alejandro beating me so easily, for Sierra making my life a living hell and clearly having no intentions of stopping.

And I have to live through all that again. Fan-fucking-tastic.

By the time I cooled down, I looked back at Gwen who stood still. If I can guess, never in her life could a geek make her feel overwhelmed and terrified. I guess she's starting to get that I really mean more than what my looks percieve me.

I don't wanna talk or be near anyone now. I turned around and hightailed out of the Mess Hall in silence. No one moved, no one said anything, they just stood there trying to process what just happened.

* * *

 **Confessional - Duncan**

"Jeez, what got that nerd to be like that?" Duncan asked with his brow raised.

 **Confessional - Geoff**

"Gosh man, I knew that little dude shouted before, but that really scared me," Geoff said in concern, "I hope he feels better."

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

Lindsay wrapped her arms around herself. Her face showed a look of fear and concern, "I was, like, so scared seeing how Kobo- I mean, Cody yelled like that," she paused for a moment, "He, told me how he had, like, a sad life, and how everyone was being so mean to him… he doesn't deserve to live a horrible life," a few tears leaked out from her blue eyes, " _*sniff*_... he doesn't."

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"The way he shouted like that only brought up more questions," Bridgette said also concerned, "Just, how much did he went though that made him be like that?" She then turned angry, "And did Gwen really say that he's only friends with us girls just so he can get into our pants?! Including mine?! I know I haven't known him for so long, but I can already tell that he doesn't have bad intentions for any of us girls!"

 **Confessional - Heather**

"Jeez, what's gotten into the twerp?"

 **Confessional - Courtney**

"He mentioned me in that rant as the 'High-Strung Mocha skinned Brunette'. I guess he's still pissed after telling him off the other day," the CIT said annoyed, "Well, he should move on. We're on different teams, I can't trust him! I can never trust anyone here!" Before she continued, her face became conflicted. She darted her eyes around, thinking, "...Can I?"

 **Confessional - Noah**

"I figured it wasn't long until Cody snaps out again. After telling me about himself, it's only natural that he would shout like that," Noah said with his signature expression, "Although, I wasn't expecting things to happen on that level."

 **Confessional - Gwen**

Gwen opened her mouth to say something. No words came out and she closed her mouth again. She's trying to get over what just happened.

 **Confessional - Chris**

"That. Was. AWESOME!" the host grinned in excitement, "Drama, shouting, tension, Cody brings it all! He's going to bring the ratings through the roof! He's going to fill my pockets with millions! Maybe even billions!"

* * *

I sat against a tree in the forest. I didn't go to deep so I don't to get anywhere near a bear.

Or at all for that matter.

My mind was still on what transpired about ten minutes ago.

I can't believe that I just shouted at the girl who I once loved. How ironic. And she still hates me the second time. I didn't do anything to here to warrant her hate. All I did was offer her some help, attempt a few conversations with her, and opened a door for her. Not smell her hair, peek into her diary, or try to get her bra.

I said it once and I'll say it again, I'm not trying to be so forward with anyone here. I'm not trying to perv on the girls this time. It won't solve anything between me and them.

Speaking of girls, it brought me back to what Gwen said about me: that I'm trying to get all the girls for myself. Does she seriously think that just because I hang out with the prettiest girls here on the island, that I'm trying to get them all for myself? What the heck is she even thinking! All I did was have some friendly chats with them, teaching Lindsay everyone's names, sharing stories with Bridgette, and me trying to get Courtney to open up.

Only to have the last one fail.

That's just three girls I hanged out with. THREE! That's not even half of the girls here still on the island. And I don't just hang out with them, I also hang out with Trent and Noah. There like the closest friends I ever had on the island.

This time anyway.

Back to the point with me and girls, I'm just being a friend to them. All the stuff I did like getting motorboated by Lindsay a lot, and cuddling with Bridgette and Courtney, they were all just accidents I had no control of. I don't intend to get a girlfriend this time since it'll just backfire and I'll get friend zoned like last time.

...I'm right…right?

"CODY!" I heard someone calling out for me. The voice was faint, but I could make out my name.

I raised my head and looked to see who's there. I heard someone running. The running was getting louder.

Coming out of the bushes was a certain surfer girl. Bridgette.

She came to a stop once she was in front of me.

"Bridgette? What are you doing here?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you think? I was searching all over for you. I wanted to know if you're alright."

"Seriously? Are you not scared of me? Even after the way I shout? Even when I brought your name up during my lashing?"

Bridgette stayed quiet for a moment, "I'm not gonna lie, I was feeling tensed when you were lashing out at Gwen like that. But I know where you're coming from."

"Really."

Bridgette then sat down next to me, "Cody, I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm rather a good judge when it comes to character. I know that the way you shouted has something to do with your past and your times as a victim."

I didn't say anything.

"Was it really, that bad growing up?"

I guess it was a matter of time before I tell someone how my life was really like. Even if it's something I don't really wanna share. But I can't tell her of my first time here, she'd think I'm crazy. I need to tell her a different version.

"You already know how throughout my entire school life I've been bullied and picked on. Elementary, Middle, and High School. Apparently, the student body at my school are so serious on stereotypes and cliques, that it's becoming ridiculous. The jocks played sports, showed off their abs and muscles, and bullied the weak. The hot girls hanged around the jocks and are so focused on makeup, popularity, and looking oh so perfect and pretty. And then there's the geeks and nerds, like me.

"This problem wasn't so serious in elementary school, but it got worse when I entered middle school. Already in the first few days there, I had an extreme wedgie from a group of eighth graders, just for minding my own business and being a geek. I-I mean all I did was what I thought was best for me, and everyone had to immediately judge me for it… what I am… what I do… I know I'm not the only one who gets picked on, obviously, but come on! Can't they just mind other people's business?! Yeah, I may be hormonal, socially awkward, but that's my problem to deal with. No theirs!"

I gathered some breath before continuing. Bridgette was still all ears to me.

"I had to endure this for so many years. Still, to this day, I'm wondering how I didn't get killed. Heck, even my parents bared any effect on my situation!"

Bridgette widened her eyes, "Wait, your parents weren't there for you?!" she said shocked.

"I wouldn't say that they still provide me with the meals I eat, the roof over my head, and the warm clothes I wear. They're raising me as any other parents are supposed to. Although, we aren't… close. Them and I."

"Why?"

"...You're going to be the first camper I'll be revealing to," I braced myself, "Do you know what the World Relief Healers are?"

"Yeah. I'm a member of that organization. They go around the world helping those diagnosed with natural diseases, or when some sort of virus is spreading. But what does that have to do with you?"

"I'm getting to that. Who's the founder of that organization?"

"The founder? Well, her name is Carol Anderson and-" she paused when she said her name. She looked back to me with another look of shock and confusion.

"Tell me this is just a coincidence," she said suddenly.

"Surprise," I said sheepishly.

* * *

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"You mean to tell me, that Cody, just so happens to be the son of Carol Anderson, the founder and President of the World Relief Healers?! The same company that I made contributions too?! He's a millionaire!"

* * *

"Okay, I get that you're shocked to know this. I just so happen to be a millionaire myself," I slightly chuckled, "Heck, sometimes I think I have too much money! Partly also my dad's fault. He just so happens to be a major stockholder to many flourishing electronic companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Sony, and Dell."

Bridgette's eyes widened even wider.

"But I guess you can guess what comes out of busy parents towards their child."

Her eyes softened again, "They… barely have any time to spend moments with you."

"Yeah… I learned to deal with it a long time ago. I know they love me, they show their love by spoiling me with a ton of stuff. I guess it's partially their fault that I'm a geek."

Bridgette let out a giggle. It felt like music to my ears.

"But my parents were barely there for me since they had so much to work to do. I had to fend off the torment that I was receiving, and I sucked at it. The tormentors didn't even care if I'm rich as heck, they somehow knew I was on my own. They even threaten me that if I ever tell on anyone, well, it's best if I keep that info hidden.

"I couldn't stand it! I couldn't take any more hits! I'm already damaged enough as it is! My parents weren't there to help me, I didn't have anyone to vent out my anger on! " I began to freak out again, "I just wanted out of this prison! Freedom! Heck, I was so willing enough to take away my own life!"

I immediately shut my mouth. I said too much.

Shit...

I looked back at Bridgette, hoping she didn't catch that. Judging by her face, she caught it.

"W-W-Wha...? What did you say?" she whispered in a scared tone.

"It's nothing, Bridgette, don't worry-"

"CODY!" she grabbed my shoulders, "DON'T. EVEN. TRY. TO DENY IT! DID YOU ACTUALLY ATTEMPT SUICIDE!?"

I couldn't answer.

"TELL ME! DID YOU REALLY TRY TO KILL YOURSELF!?"

She's not going to back down I can tell. I couldn't bring myself to answer since it's something I wanted to forget about for the rest of my life. I never told anyone that I tried to kill myself. Not even my own parents.

But now, I let it slip, and now Bridgette knows.

I prepared myself to answer, "I was eleven years old at the time..."

* * *

 _(flashback)_

 _It was another day of torment and bullying from the stereotypical jocks. I laid on my bed that day, recalling everything that had happened. Then, I reminisced my entire school year by far. My room room was pitch black then, only with a little sunlight being poured in through the curtains of my windows. My hair was messy and my face was buried in my pillows._

 _Like the previous days, my parents weren't around. They were out for who knows how long, doing what they do best. Earning more and more money, while also providing me with a roof to sleep under._

 _It was at that point how much I began to wish for freedom. It's just as the saying goes: "Money doesn't buy happiness." Not even all the toys I had solved my problems. Just like now, I wanted out of all this. But where could I go? I was only eleven, I didn't have anywhere to go than to sit in this prison, scared. I was all alone. I felt like I was dying on the inside. The amount of neglecting my parents did, the abuse I was getting from my peers and bullies..._

 _I felt my inside collapse in on my confidence and what little character I had on the inside, leaving behind a very broken 11-year-old me._

 _It was then I remembered something else, something my dad kept in his office. A safe, with some sort of weapon. My sadness and despair was then replaced with something else... a strange, dark, and forbid feeling. It was like I was in a hyper state of awareness._

 _My parents were gone, I knew the code to that safe. It all sounded simple. Just take that weapon, take it with me to school the next day... wait for my tormentors to come to me... keep it hidden... right timing... take aim... and..._

 _I shook my head, trying to get all these morbid thoughts out._

 _What was I thinking then? If I kill them, I'd be stooping down to their level. Even lower than that. No matter how horrible they treated me and how I'm so alone, I could never willingly kill someone. That'd be just... horrible. I'd be the bad guy._

 _But maybe, just maybe, I could still make things better. By then I reached the safe and saw the revolver inside of it._

 _"I can't do this," I thought then, "I can't do this..."_

 _I was referring to what I was planning on doing then. I just about given up on it all. I was tired both physically and emotionally._

 _I tried everything I could. I tried to physically fight back my bullies, meeting them head on, staying quiet in the back of the classroom, and that was during school. Here? At home? I had no options. I was only able to submit to loneliness while my parents were away, almost never there for me when I really needed them._

 _I grabbed the revolver... it was loaded. Only one shot is what I needed to end all of that pain and suffering. One trigger, one kill. I aimed at my head... closed my eyes... and braced myself for..._

…

…

…

 _...nothing._

 _Nothing came and took me then._

 _I immediately threw the weapon away and hugged myself against the safe._

 _What was I doing? I couldn't just kill myself like that. I mean, yeah I want to go to sleep forever, but not in a non-living manner. That was wrong. Just… so wrong._

 _I don't want it to be anyone's fault that I died, I wanted to die naturally like how old people do. I just wanted to pass away, I don't want to do anything anymore, I don't want to live in a circle of pain and emptiness anymore. Why was my heart so motivated to keep beating then?_

 _Maybe it's trying to tell me that there was still some stuff worth fighting for. Some stuff in life that could still help me. But how was to I get it? I wasn't just fighting against my bullies, peers, and everyone else who treated me horribly..._

 _I was fighting against the world. The world wants to push me down to the ground until I was squished like a bug._

 _It was then that I thought, what if I fought against the world in another way? Not with sadness and despair but... With a smile, and a guise of optimism?_

 _The more I thought then, the more it seemed to ring true to me. Fight the world which wanted to make me submit, and do it not with weapons or with words, but with a simple smile and optimism._

 _And within time, I would've begun to believe in my mask of optimism._

 _I stood back up. I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes and stepped out of my dad's office._

 _And ever since that day, a smile plastered on my face._

* * *

"I bore that mask of optimism for almost five years, until the end of my freshman year in high school."

I was just about done with telling Bridgette my story. It hurts saying it… but it feels alright to get it out of my chest.

Neither of us spoke a word for a short period. I sadly looked down and Bridgette sat in front of me, frozen.

 _SLAP!_

OW! What the heck was that?! Did Bridgette just slapped me?! My left cheek feels like its stinging. I rubbed my hand feeling the area I got slapped at.

"What was that for?!" I glared at the surfer.

She didn't say anything back immediately. She just stared at the ground, horrified. I swear I saw her hair casting a shadow over her eyes.

After a while, she finally spoke. It was rather creepy, "How… could you…?" uhh… did I hit a nerve? "How could you...?"

"...Bridgette?"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THINK OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, CODY?!" she yelled. I beginning to feel scared, "WHY WOULD YOU TRY AND COMMIT SUICIDE?! HOW DUMB DID YOU HAVE TO THINK THAT DEATH IS THE ONLY OPTION?!"

"J-just, c-chill Bri-"

"NO, I WILL NOT CHILL OUT! YOU ADMIT TO ATTEMPTING SUICIDE! HOW DUMB DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO THINK THAT YOUR LIFE HAS NO MEANING?!"

"...Well...I was only eleven, and-"

"That still doesn't excuse you from making a choice that almost costed your LIFE!"

"Bridgette calm down, please! I'm still here aren't I?! I promised myself already that I wouldn't do something like that ever again! Honest!"

I waited for another lashing from the surfer, only it never came.

Instead, I was brought into a tight hug. Bridgette was now hugging me!

"Please," her voice filled with emotions, "Promise me and yourself again… Don't ever try anything stupid like that, ever."

"I promise…" I said quietly.

"Louder."

"I promise."

We then just sat there not saying a word, embracing each other. Well, mostly Bridgette.

* * *

We sat in the woods together for a while. We were feeling a little better now and are more composed after our talk and were ready to head back to camp. Once we got back, Bridgette and I went our separate ways.

I think Bridgette's still trying to swallow up that info of mine.

She went back to the girl side of the Bass cabin, and I went back to my cabin. When I entered, I saw Trent lying on his bed.

It looks like he's still sad after hearing those fake words from Gwen's diary, "I thought we both had something," Is he talking to me or to himself? "But if this is how she really feels, then so be it!"

He slammed his fist down on the bed. I had enough.

"Trent, there's no point in moping around and feeling upset. Gwen DOES like you. She likes you a lot in fact."

Said guitarist looked to me, "Cody, I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but how would you know it anyway? It even said so in her diary."

"All I know is that you shouldn't jump to conclusions immediately. That would just lead to bad things."

"...I guess."

I left the cabin thinking Trent wanted some more alone time.

I went to find Noah.

I found him sitting by the dock, reading one of his books.

He noticed me approaching and looked up from his book.

"Hey, Noah, what's up?" I greeted.

"I see that you're feeling better."

"Well, I had to get some stuff off my chest that I wasn't able to in the past."

"Like what you did to Gwen?"

It was then I remembered my current situation.

"You don't think I'm guilty of the whole diary fiasco, do you?"

"Cody, I got to know you pretty well ever since the dodgeball challenge; I can assure you that you wouldn't be the type of guy who would do something as horrible as that."

"If only Gwen realizes this."

"Yeah, well, you didn't do anything to her. My only guess is that she has something against you physically."

"Physically? As if I'm ugly?"

"Oh please, Judging by the way Lindsay acts around you, your far from ugly."

Well, that's reassuring.

"Besides, way to tell Gwen off like that. I'm rather impressed," he smirked.

"But now I feel guilty though. I went overboard with her and even went so far in mentioning almost all the other girls here."

"Meh, give her a few days and she'll come crawling towards you."

I raised an eyebrow, "Are you referring to her having the hearts for me or apologizing."

"Well, obviously the former. The way you shouted must've been appealing to her."

"Seriously?"

"The latter."

Of course, he'd be sarcastic.

It was then that I began to wonder.

"Say, Noah, have you ever been accused of doing something bad that you never did?"

He stopped reading and thought for a moment. He's probably gonna say something sarcastic again.

"Yeah actually."

"Really? What?"

"One time when I was young, our whole stash of cookies went missing. Everyone blamed it on me. I don't even like sweets that much and even if I was the youngest, I still wouldn't eat the whole jar."

"And then what happened?"

"We bought a new cookie jar and my mom never lets me eat cookies again. You know, I never did figure out who actually ate the cookies. It's one of the mysteries of my life, I guess."

We sat in silence a little longer before heading for dinner.

* * *

It was evening now, and my cabin mates have dozed off to sleep. Except me. I have to do something that must not be ignored, even in this timeline.

 _I hope that you're aware the danger here. The mission that you are about to embark on will have serious consequences if you're caught. You might die. Or even worse, get mauled by a bear!_

"I know brain, I know," I muttered to myself.

I went to the Killer Bass cabin and knocked on the door.

Chris said we weren't allowed inside the cabins. He never said we couldn't talk to the people inside from outside.

The door opened. Luckily, the person that opened it was just the person I wanted to talk to.

"You said you bought a fire ant farm with you. Correct?"

"Yes." It was Harold. He never really told me about having an ant farm. I just remember from last time is all.

I asked to borrow it and he agreed.

"Perfect."

Harold was confused as to why I needed his ant collection, but he didn't argue. I knew exactly why I needed it.

"Alright, Cody, ant farm is in check. Now time to execute Operation… uh… Hiddenness," Why was I talking to myself?

I gently opened the door to the girls side of the Gopher cabin. All the girls inside were fast asleep. I even saw Lindsay sleeping on a bottom bunk. She looks cute in her sleep.

Focus Cody! You need to focus! No thinking of girls this time. You're not going to try and steal a girl's bra, thong, swimsuit, any other accessories, take a photo, etc.

I crouched down and stealthed my way towards Heather. Luckily, I'm skinny and have a short height, so I didn't make any noises when I walked.

"...mmmm Cody...suck my boobies…"

I stopped and turn back to Lindsay. She was talking in her sleep. She was dreaming about me, that I was… sucking her boobs?

Now that I think about it, they would taste good. Just the thought of sucking on Lindsay's goddess size melons would-

 _FOCUS CODY! FOCUS!_

I shook my head to get all those thoughts out. I can't get distracted.

I made it to my target: Heather. Quickly, I opened up the box with the red ants in it. I then dumped them all on Heather. I was about to set the box down but then I realized that Harold might get blamed for the whole incident. I carried the box back to his cabin with the lid on and then hightailed back to my cabin.

I arrived at my cabin, quickly slammed the door shut and crawled into bed. Luckily, no one woke up from my loud door slam.

I was snuggled in when I heard someone screaming.

Heather's screams.

They sounded so sweet. Unfortunately, no one else was awake to hear them. As far as I know, anyway.

"Goodnight," I said, snuggling in, and entering dreamland.

Heather thinks that she'll lead this game of hers, well she's wrong. I'll show her that this tech geek is more dangerous than what outer appearances say.

* * *

 **Finally, after so many weeks of writer's block, I got the next chapter out. And lucky me since it'll be 2018 soon by the time I publish this chapter.**

 **By the time I've written this, the new Total Drama season has been officially announced. It's TOTAL DRAMA... Daycare.**

 **Okay, I'm more upset that I was hyped for months over a spinoff of the TD characters as four-year-olds rather than an actual season. I really thought Total Drama was going to return for real. But no, that doesn't seem to be the case. I guess this season was inevitable. Christine Thompson did say on Facebook that Tom and Jennifer wanted to make this sort of spinoff for a really long time now. It's not for me, but I'm sure FreshTV knows what they're doing. I'll be optimistic and watch it when it comes out next year.**

 **Guess what though... I made another accomplishment in TD fanfiction. I posted more chapters than any Cody time travel story on this site! Even more than Time Brand! Give me a round of applause!**

 **At the same time, I published another fanfic. 'A Relaxation of Blondes'. Check it out it's actually the first LindsayxBridgette story on this site.**

 **I think that's it though. I'm not dead just to let you know again. I'm not going to abandon this story. I really want to see it to the end.**

 **I'll see you in 2018!**


	12. Chapter 11 - Camp Drama

**Wow, not only did I managed to get this chapter up much sooner, but I got at least 20 reviews from the previous chapter. I didn't think my story would become THIS popular. It's not even been half a year since I've published my fic. I know it's rather cheesy, but thank you so much for all the support I'm getting. The Total Drama fandom is probably my most favourite fandom to be a part of.**

 **Really, thank you.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, let's go on to the newest chapter of TD: CR!**

* * *

I was feeling great as was waking up.

After letting off some steam, talking with some close friends of mine, and giving Heather her midnight treat, I say that this is the best morning yet, here on the island. No nightmares either, a good ol' eight hours night sleep.

I got out of bed went to the bathroom, shower, brush my teeth, put on my everyday clothing, all prepared for today. Both physically and mentally.

Today's supposed to be a challenge day I'm sure of. We're on our fifth challenge of the competition. I think I remember this one being the one where we camp out in the woods?

I headed to the Mess Hall. The Killer Bass were sitting as they usually would. Sans a fitness buff and a homeschooled guy.

At our table, nearly all girls huddled around Gwen. She must still be stomaching in what happened to her yesterday.

I really need to apologize to her for lashing out at her like that. Only when she's ready though, whenever that'll be.

Now that I think about it, the rest of the girls might still be stomaching in what they witnessed yesterday. Maybe I should sit away from them.

Heather looked really upset. She had red marks all over her arms and legs and was scratching like crazy.

Noah was the next to arrive. He sat down next to me with his 'breakfast'. Trent still wasn't around though.

"What's going on with Miss Popular over there?" he asked me.

"Some jerk dropped red ants into my bed last night. When I find out who it is, they'll be wishing they never lived!" She's upset alright.

"What she said," I said.

The bookworm turned to Heather, "You shouldn't try to get so… antsy" he and I chuckled at his pun.

This table reminds me of ones back in high school. The populars are hanging out together, while the geeks and nerds sat alone.

Just then, Chris entered the mainframe.

"Morning, campers. I hope you're all ready for the next challenge."

"What if we're not?" Courtney asked.

"Then that's too bad. Meet me at the campfire pit in five minutes," He exited the building.

After finishing up our food, somehow, the campers and I went to the pit. I walked with Noah since he's the only one comfortable being around me at the moment.

I saw Lindsay walking a few meters ahead of me. I recall what I had heard from her last night in her sleep.

She was dreaming of ME. She dreamt that I was sucking on her tits. And if I can guess, she must've also dreamt of me having SEX with her!

Okay, besides Sierra, which other girls here on this show dreamt of me sucking on their tits? The first time anyway?

Answer: NONE OF THEM!

I was then the perverted geek that tried and failed, to woo the girls. No girls had any romantic feelings for me whatsoever.

Besides Sierra that is.

"Cody, we're here."

I snapped out of my thoughts to realize Noah's right. We've made it to the pit.

"Ah, alrighty then," I composed myself and waited for Chris to speak.

"Campers, today's challenge will test your outdoor survival skills. I'm not gonna lie to you. Some of you may not come back alive."

At this, everyone gasped. Even me.

"Just joking," phew, "All you have to do is spend one night in the woods. Everything you need is at your team's campsite in the forest. You just have to find it."

He had two maps in his hand. He tossed one to Duncan and the other to Heather. He also tossed them compasses.

"Oh. And watch out for bears. Lost a couple of interns in pre-production. First team back for breakfast wins invincibility," He blew an air horn, "Well, off you go," It was our second challenge spanning multiple days.

"Did he say there were bears up in here?" Leshawna asked.

Looks like that we'll won't be hearing the story of Owen the "bear hunter" this time. I actually found it intriguing, despite it being theatrical.

"Oh. This one time, I saw a bear eating our garbage.," Said Izzy, "He had old spaghetti noodles hanging from his big huge teeth and it looked like blood and guts. So gross. And we thought he was eating the neighbor's cat Simba but it turned out he was just lost for a week," she then turned to Lindsay, "Uh… you didn't eat spaghetti, did you?"

Lindsay shook her head no.

You know, some spaghetti can really be nice.

"Good. Let's go!" The redhead said.

We went to our cabins to gather our stuff, and started off. A long trek into the woods. Possible chance of running into a bear, and then getting mauled by one.

 _STOP IT CODY! Stop trying to get yourself so worried._

Sorry me. I have enough time to prepare myself for that bear attack. But for now, my focus is on this challenge.

And a certain blonde.

"Ugh. She is _so_ the next one to leave," My thoughts were once again interrupted again. This time by Heather.

"Who?" Trent asked.

"Who do you think? Gwen," Really? Gwen? "She's so distressed. I bet she dumped ants on me just to get some satisfaction."

"She did have her diary read out loud to the entire world," Trent replied.

Heather turned around, making us stop in our tracks, "So?"

" _So?_ That was a pretty harsh thing for Chris to do," Trent said.

"Whatever. She's going down," Heather said.

" _Why does she hate everyone here?"_ I thought to myself, _"What did Gwen even do to her?"_

Even though I felt a lot better today, my mind was still all over the place. The diary incident, me blowing a fuse again, Owen's elimination, Lindsay forming a crush on me…

I saw Noah walking with a conflicted and shock look on his face. What's up with that? I walked over to ask him.

"Hey, Noah, what's up?" I asked the bookworm.

I made him snap out and said, "What? Oh, nothing. Just thinking is all."

"About what?"

"How the recent elimination went. Who did you vote for by the way?"

Oh yeah. I forgot he was doing this. I trust him enough to give him my answer, "I voted for Heather. I find her to be completely untrustworthy and all."

He then told me how the voting might've went:

Beth - Cody

Cody - Heather

Gwen - Cody

Heather - Cody

Izzy - Noah

Leshawna - Owen

Lindsay - Owen

Noah - Owen

Owen - Lindsay

Trent - Owen

Total: Owen (4); Cody (3); Lindsay (1); Heather (1); Noah (1)

Eliminated: Owen

"You voted out Owen?!" I was shocked to learn that. Noah and Owen were pretty tight during World Tour and the Ridonculous Race. Why would he vote him out?

"Honestly, I didn't wanted to have him as my vote. I know he's fine to hang out with, but that was the only way to keep you safe or avoid some tiebreaker."

"So your choice of vote was an act of protecting me?"

"I may not be interested in dubstep, but even I find it stupid that you lost."

"Yeah, tell me about it," It was then that I got a thought, "Wait a minute. Did you only voted Owen just so you can get to Izzy first?" I asked mischievously.

"Of course. I totally have a massive crush on Izzy. I only vote for the ones out that I see as a threat in stealing my destined soulmate. Owen was one of the many." **[1]**

"Really?"

"No! I don't like Izzy like that. She and I are just friends, no, more like good acquaintances. Besides, she voted for me."

"Well I wouldn't be so surprised. Who even reads Shakespeare in these times?"

"I'm not sure if you know this, but Shakespeare has done many contributions to the English language at the time. We still use and learn his writing style even till this day."

We went silent again. I continued to think back on the voting the night prior. I managed to escape by one vote and that's because of Lindsay I think.

Gwen has something against me for sure, and Heather must've asked Lindsay and Beth to vote me out. After all I did lose the talent for my team. But Lindsay went behind her back and voted Owen off instead.

This confirms my thoughts from earlier.

Lindsay likes me.

As in LIKE like me.

As in having a CRUSH on me.

As in having a MASSIVE crush on me.

As in… loves me?

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"You know… Looking back on the past few days, I guess the signs of Lindsay's feelings for me were pretty clear. I was just in denial on all that. Afterall, I never had a girl have any sort of crush on me. I use to be the one chasing after the girl. Not the other way around," I continued, "a girl likes me! Lindsay likes me! Probably the hottest girl here on the island… SHE LOVES ME!" I paused to regain my breath, "and now that I think of it, Lindsay might not be the only girl here that's attracted to me… is there something going on also with Bridgette perhaps?... I'll need to think more on that later."

* * *

At last, we reached the campsite that was marked on the map.

"There'th no food here," said Beth.

"This _is_ a survival task. Look at the instructions," said Trent.

"I hope there aren't any bears around here," said Leshawna

"Wouldn't it be funny if we made some bear sounds and then they came?" Izzy asked.

"Yes, Izzy. It be a riot," Noah said, throwing around some more sarcasm.

And then Izzy began to act like a bear, "Roooooooar! Groooooowl!"

"Will you please shut up? I'm trying to read here," said Heather, "It says we're supposed to find our own food," she looked around, "I don't see any."

"We'll have to find some," I said.

"I'll go," Trent said.

He left to get the food.

I sat down against the big tree at our site and just watched the other campers do their stuff. Leshawna, Gwen and Izzy were chatting about something; Noah was setting up his alarm clock; Heather was talking to Lindsay and Beth about something. Probably something to do with their alliance.

I still need to figure how to break their alliance. Not only would it benefit Lindsay and Beth, but Heather wouldn't have any allies.

Lindsay then took a quick glance at me and waved at me. I put on my best smile and waved back.

What am I gonna do? It's not that I hate it or anything, it was just so unexpected. I thought for sure that she'd be with Tyler. Not me. I'm the socially awkward and weak tech geek who was once a pervert. Still am in some cases. Tyler's the jock who plays sports and gets the girls attention. I'll give him credit that he's a better and nicer jock then all the other ones I had to deal with, but that's still his stereotype.

Looking back, I kinda already saw a whole lot of proof of Lindsay liking me already. I was just in denial. She came to me after the cliff diving challenge, she came out that night to see me, making our friendship official, I offered her my help in remembering everyone's names, she had me motorboat her boobs a few times, unintentionally, she cuddled with me during the talent show tryouts, and that cheerleading performance she did must've been FOR me only.

Would Lindsay even have feelings for me the first time if I wasn't so focused on Gwen?

It's been ten minutes and we were all bored.

"This tent ain't gonna set itself up," Leshawna said.

For the next half hour or so, we tried to assemble the tent. You can say it went… well.

"No. You stand over there!"

"You're doing it all wrong."

"No, _you're_ doing it all wrong."

"Guys! We should just calm down."

"Buzz off!"

"Hey look! I'm a bear. Rooooooooooooar!"

"Shut it Psycho Hosebeast!"

Finally we got our tent pitched. Now we're all tired out from the whole ordeal. And hungry.

"Ugh. I'm sooooooooooo hungry," Heather said.

"Ugh. I think my stomach ate my stomach," Izzy added.

"Yo, Who ordered the pepperoni? Extra cheese?" A pizza guy?

"It's for the camera crew. Over here!"

How did a pizza guy ever managed to arrive here. We're on an island somewhere in Muskoka.

Magic perhaps?

"No way!" Heather said.

Then we heard rustling. It was Trent. "I hope you guys like fish."

"Are you kidding me?" Heather asked.

"Oh I love fish. I love fish," Izzy bit the raw fish head, "I guess we should cook it first, huh?"

We eventually got some firewood to cook the fish. Then we sat down around the fire to get ourselves warm.

"I can't believe we're actually camping," Lindsay said.

"Lindsay, we've been camping ever since we've got here," Trent said.

"But I thought you need tents and a fire to camp."

"Actually all you need is a gun and a lot of patience," I explained. Everyone glanced at me confused, "I'm referring to camping in a video game."

"Nerd," said Heather.

"Actually, Harold's the nerd here. I'm the geek."

"Say, has anyone seen crazy girl?" said Leshawna.

"She said she had to go to the bathroom," Lindsay replied. When did Izzy say that?

"But that was over an hour ago!" Trent said, "Izzy! Izzy!"

We all started calling out for her, but we got no answer. Where on Earth is she?

Then were heard the bush rustle behind us. Then, out came a… shit…

A GRIZZLY BEAR!

"HOLY FUCK!" I cursed in fear.

As the bear stood on its hind legs, I peed myself. Dangit!

"The trees! Climb into the trees!" Heather said. Huh, she said something rather humane for once.

I scampered as quick as I can up the tree. I do NOT want to get mauled by a bear again!

I got up and sat at a high enough branch. It looks sturdy enough.

The bear was now standing right next to the tree. And then we heard a wolf howl in the distance.

"There are wolves here, too?" Leshawna asked.

"Apparently, yes," Noah said.

"So what do we do now?" Trent asked.

"Don't look at me!" Heather said, putting her arms up in defence.

"It was _your_ idea to climb the trees," Gwen said.

"And if we didn't, we would have gotten attacked!"

"Hey, hey, hey. Can we all just calm down? At least we still have fish," I hate to say it Trent, but the bear is sniffing our fish.

"Hey! Lay off our fish!" Heather yelled.

"It's probably already eaten Izzy!" Lindsay wailed.

"Then it shouldn't be hungry anymore," Heather commented.

"You don't have to be so dark, Heather," I yelled at her.

"Hey! This is survival of the fittest. She should have just peed in her pants like you did, geek."

That broke my patience, "Well excuse me for being terrified of a wild carnivore! The last thing I need is to be mauled by a fucking bear," I yelled in embarrassment.

"Yeah, don't be so mean to Cody, Heather! He's scared!" Did Lindsay just came to my defence?!

"Excuse me?! You're supposed to be on my side!" Heather talked back.

Just then, Leshawna's branch snapped. She fell down next to the bear.

Oh shit!

"Nice bear. Heheh. Somebody help me!"

There was a flurry of shouts that followed. We were telling Leshawna to go left, right, climb, jump, duck and run.

The bear growled. Oh shit, Leshawna…

"Hey, are you okay?" Wait… what was that?

"Did that bear just ask me a question?" Yes, yes it did.

The bear then… opened its mask to reveal Izzy!

What the hell!?

"Okay. I am so confused right now," Lindsay said. It was at that moment, I remembered.

"What are you, some kind of weirdo?" Gwen asked.

"I thought it would be funny," Izzy said.

I jumped down and went up next to her, "Izzy, your definition of funny isn't the same as ours. I thought for sure I was going to be mauled!" I scolded.

"Well you didn't. You're alright and alive like everyone else. Didn't think I'd scared you the most, though," Izzy said.

I grumbled at her joke. I'm actually less upset about her 'joke' and more upset that I forget from the first time she did the exact same thing.

How could I have forgotten? I actually have a decent memory. I suppose one can't remember every single detail.

I sat back down to cool off. This night isn't going as well as I hoped. I need to find something to do.

I saw Lindsay next to the fire, trying to get warm. You know, we haven't had a 'remembering names' lesson in a while. Maybe I can give her one right now.

I stood up and walked over to the blonde.

"Hey Lindsay," I casually said.

"Hi Cody," she smiled brightly, "Are you feeling better?"

"A little," I sat down next to her, "Although, I like to have a change of pants," I was referring to my pee stain.

"Oh yeah. I'm so sorry that you went pee pee. And it was mean that Heather made fun of you for that."

"I'm actually surprised you came to my defence."

"Well yeah, even if Heather's my BFF, no one should, like, say anything mean about you. You're like super duper nice."

I blushed at her statement, "A-Anyway, I was hoping I could give you another name lesson."

"Really? Aww thank you, Cody."

"Now let's first go over some names quickly. Who do you remember."

"Hmm… Cody," that's one, "Heather," that's two, "Beth," three, "Chris," four, "...Gwen?"

"Okay so five, let's try someone else," I pointed to Noah, "Who is that teen that's reading over there?"

Lindsay thought for a moment, "Nathan?"

The two of us touched upon Noah's name. I told her some things about him from being cynical to a lot of things in life up to how he's really smart and that he's a bookworm. The reason I chose him was because he's my closest friend so far.

Said bookworm heard us and said, "If you going to talk so much about me, can you do it somewhere where it's less annoying?"

I forgot that everyone was in hearing range of our lesson. I turned to Noah and said, "Give her some credit will ya? She's trying her hardest to remember."

"And she'll just forget again the next day."

I glared at Noah for that remark. Lindsay looks sad now. I tried to cheer her up.

"Don't listen to him Lindsay. It's like I said, Noah's apathetic to a majority of things in life. I'm sure you'll remember everyone here by the time the game ends."

She looks happy again, "Aww, thanks Cody. You're so sweet," I was then brought into another one of her hugs again.

"I'm pretty beat," Heather said, "I'm gonna go to sleep."

"What? You can't go now. You'll miss all of the camping stuff," Izzy said. Why is she still wearing her bear costume?

"Izzy, we have to get up early tomorrow so we can make it back to the campgrounds first," Trent said.

"But we still have to tell spooky stories, and sing songs."

"We're not really in the mood." Gwen said.

"Just one. Pleeeeeease?"

We all let out a sigh.

"Fine," Heather said.

"Alright! This one is my favorite. Here goes..." She paused and inhaled, "I call this one, the Campfire Song Song. Let's gather around the campfire and sing our campfire song! Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song. And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong. But it will help if you just sing along! Bum bum bum. C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song, C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song. And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong. But it will help if you just sing along! C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G, Lindsay!"

Lindsay was put off at suddenly having the attention on her, "What? C-M-A-F-R-P-E…"

"Gwen!" Izzy called out.

"…"

"Good!" Izzy said anyway, "It'll heeeeeeeeeeeelp! It'll heeeeeeeeeelp if you just sing alooooooooooooooong!" She threw her bear head on the floor, "Oh yeah!"

I honestly don't know what I just saw. I'm sure the others don't either.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I didn't know that Izzy watches Spongebob Squarepants," It's all I said.

* * *

After Izzy's… singing, the fish sticks were ready. We began to eat them. Wasn't the best food in the world, but they were far better than what Chef gives us.

Then, the bushes rustled again. From the same place where Izzy arrived in her bear suit, another bear emerged.

...Oh no…

...Oh no…

"Wow. That costume is really good. I mean, I thought _mine_ was good, but this one is really good."

I slowly put my fish down and stood up.

"It's probably Chris trying to mess with us," Trent said, "Yeah nice try, man. You can't punk us twice."

I kept my eyes on the bear.

"I don't know, Trent. That one actually looks pretty real," Noah said.

I began to back away until I hit the tree.

"Chris _did_ say there were bears," Heather said in a shaky voice.

By the time my back hit the tree, the bear roar, " _GRRROOOOOWWWWL!_ "

"UP THE TREE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Fear gave me a boost of energy as I high-tailed up the tree. Everyone else followed.

I climbed to the highest branch on the tree. I looked down and saw the bear looking at us.

And I peed myself again. Wonderful, just frickin' wonderful!

"This is all your fault, crazy girl! If you didn't make those bear sounds and dress like a bear, we could have actually slept in our tents!"

I could care less were I slept. I do NOT want to get near that bear! This could not get any worse.

It got worse though. It started to rain. At least it would cover up my urine stench.

"The Killer Bass couldn't _possibly_ be suffering this much," Oh Trent, if only you knew what Bridgette accidently put them through.

As for the bear, it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon.

"I guess we have to sleep right here," Heather said.

"Hey, Cody, can I sleep with you?" I had only just noticed that Lindsay's on the same branch as me. Must've been to scared to realize.

A lot of the other branches were taken. The only ones available were close to the ground. I don't want Lindsay to climb all the way back down.

So I agreed, "Uhh, sure Lindsay."

Lindsay smiled and shuffled over to me. We maneuvered around a bit till we found a suitable sleeping position. Lucky the branch was wide enough.

We managed to find a good sleeping position afterwards. I'm lighter and shorter than Lindsay is, so she made lie on her while she leaned against the tree trunk. I found myself resting my head on her chest. She didn't seemed bothered by it though.

God they really do feel like pillows those breast. How does she not have back problems yet?

"Zzzzz," Lindsay already began to sleep. Must like it when her crush is sleeping on her.

After a few minutes of getting comfortable, my eyes were starting to get droopy.

 _Dreamland here I come again…_

 _Zzzzzzzzzzzz..._

* * *

 **[1] Pop quiz: What was the main pairing in PurpleBandit3000 fanfic, Total Drama Redemption?**

 **Still can't believe I got this out in just three days. That's a new record for me. What's even more amazing is that this fic has passed the 60K mark! Alright!**

 **Maybe I'll be able to do the same with the next chapter?**

 **Likely? Unlikely? We'll see...**

 **See ya next time!**


	13. Chapter 12 - Run Cody Run!

**Almost two months since my last update. Almost TWO, FRICKIN', MONTHS!**

 **Reasons for the long delay will be answered below.**

* * *

Uh man, is it morning already? I'm too tired to get up, and I feel comfortable in my position. These pillows I'm sleeping on are really soft, possibly softer than my pillows.

Wait, why am I outside? And on a branch? And, why do my pillows, don't feel like pillows? My memory came back to me, and I went wide-eyed.

We're in the middle of a challenge and we slept in the tree because of a bear. I glanced back to see Lindsay sleeping soundly against the tree trunk. Oh yeah, I also slept on Lindsay.

I reached behind and slightly patted the blonde to get up.

"Psst, get up Lindsay," I spoke softly. The bombshell stirred but went back to sleep. I wouldn't blame her though, we're still beat from what happened last night.

I tried again, "Hey, wake up," I patted a little harder. She finally got up.

She let out a cute yawn, "What? Cody?" she said tiredly.

"We have to head back to the campgrounds now," I told her.

"Bear's gone," Trent said who had also woken up. Thank god the bear's gone.

"And the map too," Gwen said. Thank the devil the map's gone.

One by one, we all got down from the tree. However, Noah slipped off a branch and fell the rest of the way. Luckily it was a shortfall otherwise he'd be broken.

"Oh Cody, that was like the best sleep I had in a while," Lindsay told me.

"Really? You found comfort on that branch?" I asked her while scratching myself.

"Well, the branch did feel hard, but you were with me the whole night," I resisted the urge to say 'that's what she said'.

Izzy then said something about raccoons sleeping in trees. Noah then began to explain to Izzy about raccoons sleeping in trees.

Leshawna spoke, "You know what, crazy girl? I don't want to hear another word from you. You're the reason we had to sleep on the tree in the first place."

A bird was chirping away. It was really annoying for all of us, "SHUT UP!" we all shouted in sync. Seriously, I almost got mauled by a bear, a frickin' bear!

Noah's alarm clock was still ringing. It was driving us insane.

"Can someone please turn that darn thing off!?" Heather asked, irritated.

"Don't worry. I'll smash it with a hammer!" Izzy said. She pulled out a giant hammer and pounded it. Where did Izzy get a hammer?

"Come on people, let's get a move on!" Trent called out.

No time to fully wake up or shit, we need to book it. Thankfully my pants are dry now.

We all ran as fast as we could back to the campgrounds. I wouldn't want our team to lose the challenge. I'm sure I'll be safe since I didn't do anything wrong.

I hope we're going the right way though. We lost our map from the rain last night, but it looks like we're heading in the right direction.

"We're the first ones back!" I heard Courtney's voice. Oh no.

"Oh no! They beat us here!" Heather cried, worriedly. She then turned to Izzy, "This is all _your_ fault!" she accused the redhead.

"Uh uh uh uh. Not so fast, Gopherinos," Chris said, "It seems like the Killer Bass are missing a few fish."

I looked at the other team. Bridgette, Courtney, Geoff, DJ, Harold, Tyler, and Duncan. Katie and Sadie are missing.

"Oh, you mean Katie and Sadie? I'm pretty sure they got eaten by wolves last night,"

You know what, fuck it! I do NOT need to hear those types of words! Last night was bad enough, I don't need my bad mood to intensify anymore!

I quickly turned around and trekked back to my cabin.

"And where are you going?" Heather asked.

"Anywhere but here!" I answered very tiredly and grumpy, "I like to not hear any more words from some J.i.t.; a Jerk in Training! Oh wait, she's already a fucking jerk! WITH A CAPITAL 'J'!"

All eyes where now on Courtney. Good, this is what she gets for being a jerk. I continued on to my cabin.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I got pranked by Izzy, peed my pants, nearly got killed by an _actual_ bear, peed my pants _again_ , and had to sleep on some uncomfortable branches in the rain. Granted, Lindsay did offer me to sleep on her chest-" I interrupted myself, "b-but I'm not getting sidetracked for boobs and girls this time! And when we get back, I had to hear some more narcissistic and inhumane words! What the fuck is wrong with this world!? These people only care for themselves, power, and money! Is the majority here only in it for the money?!

* * *

I laid quietly on my bed facing the wall. I'd really like to get these horrible thoughts out of my mind.

This was not how I wanted things to be. Ever since I came back here, I've gotten into a number of fights. Courtney for not accepting my help in healing her swollen eye, Courtney again for throwing away our friendship, sort of with Noah during the dodgeball challenge, with Gwen for accusing me of stealing and writing in her diary, and almost in another one with Courtney for being a jerk to her own teammates.

Then there's Heather. Another jerk who's manipulating Lindsay and Beth into doing her bidding. I'll never find a way to show Lindsay that Heather's bad news.

I lost two challenges for my team and was almost voted off because of it.

I was almost mauled by a bear and I'm about to be when the paintball deer challenge comes around.

Then there's Chris, the evilest, narcissistic, powerful, hungry for rating host I've ever known. How is he still not fired after all the horrible things he pulled off? When I watched the Ridonculous Race, Don was a much better host. I'll admit, he was narcissistic at times, but at least he was sane to the competitors.

All this drama, the tensions, the fighting, can't believe I haven't experienced all of it the first time, all because I was too focused on Gwen. Only Gwen mattered to me then, nothing else.

I'm no longer the optimistic perverted ladies man wannabe geek I was, I'm an overly-depressed geek that suffered from being a victim, betrayals, and suicidal thoughts.

What am I becoming?

"Cody?"

Does she really need to come and see me at this time?

I turned over to see Lindsay standing near the door frame, "What are you doing here?" I grumbled, "This is the boy's side, you're not aloud in here."

"I just wanna see if you're okay."

Oh, Lindsay. Sweet naive innocent Lindsay. One of the most oblivious girls I ever knew, "Lindsay, please. I don't want to talk with someone right now."

"But Cody I-"

"Please. Just, don't. Not now Lindsay. I _need_ to be alone," I turned back around on my bed and stared back at the wall.

I don't know what happened next, but I heard footstep leaving the cabin. Seems like Lindsay took my request and left.

* * *

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"Cody has been, like, so helpful and kind to me ever since we became friends. But he's been feeling so sad almost all the time. It's getting a little scary hearing him yell, even when the meanies deserve it," Lindsay began to cry, "I don't want Cody to become scary! I want him to be my best friends. I LOVE CODY!" she cried as a few tears trickled down her cheeks, "What happened to him that made him like this?! I don't want him to be like this! How much was he picked on by all those meanies from where he lives?!"

* * *

I lost track of time over how long I laid in bed. I almost went to sleep a few times, but forced myself awake. Despite the fact that I'm tired, I don't even wanna go to sleep.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK!_

Someone was at the door. Trent and Noah weren't in here with me and if it were one of them, they would've just come in. They were aloud in here. It must be someone else.

"Go away," I said, hoping that whoever's there would go.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

The knocking intensified.

"I said, go away!" I said louder. I was still moody to get out of bed.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

Whoever's there isn't giving up. Grumbling in frustration and annoyance I got out of bed to see who's there. To my surprise it was Harold.

"What do you want, Harold," I asked.

"Listen, I don't have time for chit-chat and all that. Or 'small-talk' as it is referred to these days. Yeah, that's what they call it. You see, I'm not the kind of person who likes to drag things out. I don't like talking on and on. I really can't stand people like that. Do you know anyone like that? Some person who simply rambles on and on about useless drivel that concerns you in no way whatsoever?"

"...I guess?" I was more curious about where this was going.

"And you wish that they'd just get to the point, but they don't. And that makes you hate them with an intense passion-"

"You're doing the same thing right now, you know?"

This made him pause, "Oops. Sorry about that. You see, sometimes I just get carried away with my introductions. Because the introduction is the most important part of a conversation in my opinion. A bad introduction means no one will listen to the rest of what you are saying."

"Can you PLEASE, get to the point already?! I'm already in a bad mood as it is," I almost yelled.

"Okay. GOSH! What did you do with my red ant farm!?"

"Holy crap, Harold! Turn it down," If Heather hears this, we're screwed.

"Then tell me what you did with it."

How should I answer this? With honesty? "I, uh, gave it back to you that night, right after you gave it to me. Don't you remember?"

"Yes, I do remember. But all the ants are gone. What did you do to them?"

Now to do some lying, "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to your ants. I gave them back to you unharmed."

"Then why didn't I see any of them inside? What have you done with the ants?"

I need to lie some more, "Nothing, I swear. I'd never do anything heartless like letting the ants escape. It must've been someone else that did it. After all, this camp already has some jerks in it."

"I bet it was Duncan. That idiot! He probably did it because he's jealous of my mad skills. I'm glad he didn't dump the ants on me."

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions immediately. You know that, right?"

"I know that. However, Duncan's the biggest candidate since he's always picking on me."

"I guess that makes sense. If you want, go and vent your frustration on Duncan then."

"I would, but he'd cream me."

"I don't blame you. That dude scares me too."

"Well, sorry for the misunderstanding. I gotta go."

"Bye Harold," I just dodged a major bullet right there.

I went back to bed to lie down again. I was in peace for only a few seconds before the door opened again. I looked back and saw Trent coming into the cabin.

"What is it, Trent?" I mumbled.

"What was Harold doing in here?" he must've seen my conversation with him.

"It wasn't anything important," I replied, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to let you know that it's dinner time."

Already? How long was I in bed for?

"Thanks for letting me know, but I'm not going."

"You sure? I mean, Chef's food is awful I can agree on that. But you'll starve if you don't come."

"I said, I'm not going," I said more firmly.

"Cody?"

"I'm. Not. Going. Period."

Silence hovered above us for a brief moment.

"Okay, what's the matter with you?"

"Nothing."

"Don't you lie to me, Cody. What's your problem?"

"Nothing that concerns you, okay?"

"Listen, man. When I see my friends depressed, I always look out for them and help them to the best of my abilities. Period. Now tell me why you're mad and sad a lot?"

"Friends? You're not just gonna use me to win the money?"

"DUDE! Where did that idea come from! I'll admit that I want to win just as much as you do, but even I know that friends are top priorities! Burying these problems will only delay a bigger problem. It can come back to bite you at the worst moment."

Trent's right. Every time when someone tried to bury or run away from their problems they would just be dragged out into the light at the worst possible moment.

But that was mostly because of snakes like Heather this season and Alejandro in World Tour.

Just thinking of the Latin made me grit my teeth; if that slimy bastard tried to use anyone like Bridgette or Lindsay against me...

I sighed realizing that Trent was more right than the guitarist knew. If Alejandro didn't do something to give me an easier win, Chris and the producers would just so they could raise the drama for this season.

Bastards, all of them.

"Fine, you know how early on in the game when Courtney and I were having this thing between us? Especially during the Awake-a-thon?"

"Yeah, if it wasn't for Lindsay or Bridgette, I'd see you two going out before the night was over," Trent joked.

"We pretty much had a heart-to-heart which was surprising since I've always been fairly private about that kind of stuff and I took her to be the same way. So we really connected and had a good time in a nutshell," I paused for a moment

"And…"

"I guess that maybe scared her? I don't really know. The point is she hates my guts now and wants nothing to do with me since I'm ' _on the other team'_ and she doesn't want to be voted off for associating with me. What's worse is she would go to her best of her abilities to keep anyone else on the Bass from associating with me too, especially Bridgette. Which sucks because Bridgette's another person I feel comfortable around," I rolled my eyes allowing a bit a bitterness out of my mouth. Trent snorted too to my surprise.

"Alright, that's pretty dumb. I know a hundred grand is a lot, but what you guys could've had…" Trent drifted off, "I know it feels like you might be making a big deal out of nothing, it was just a night you guys spent together after all, but I saw you two when-"

"-when you weren't making 'kissy-faces' with Gwen," I interrupted.

Trent smiled, "-when I wasn't busy being _suave_ with Gwen, I saw the two of you talking. You both seemed relaxed... like you were both similar in a way. So the fact that she's willing to throw away your friendship with her just for money just shows nothing nice about her," Trent said as I felt my spirit rise up a little.

"So… I'm not just being a little bitch about it?" I asked bluntly.

Trent just nodded, "No, There was something more to it than just talking… you guys 'clicked'. Or, something like that," I snorted at his last comment, "And besides, she's not the only girl on the island you know."

"What are you saying?"

"Aren't you paying attention? You already have two blondes chasing after you. Lindsay's a dead giveaway, and I can bet Bridgette is slowly starting to feel the same. They're with you a whole lot."

"Yeah right, as if two of the hottest and prettiest girls will ever be in love with someone like me," I grumbled.

"That's not what I keep seeing."

"Trent, let me make it clear to you. Bridgette, Lindsay, and I are just friends. Nothing more. All I'm doing is helping Lindsay remember the names of everyone here, and Bridgette is just helping me through my tough times. We may have some similar interest, the two girls and I, and I'm just getting to know those two since I've only known them for almost two weeks. Sheesh! You talk to someone of the opposite sex and everyone automatically assumes you've got a thing for them! We're just friends! I'm not going to say it again!"

"Uh huh," Trent said, unconvinced.

"I'm telling the truth!" I pleaded.

"Right. Ten bucks say you hook up with one of them at the end of the season," Trent said, extending his hand.

"Fine!" I accepted, shaking it, "When this season is over, despite whether I win or lose, I'll still walk out of here with a little money because there's no way that neither Lindsay or Bridgette are going to hook up with me! We're. Just. Friends."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see," Trent said slyly, "Anyway, you sure you don't wanna head to the dining hall for dinner?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll go to bed without dinner. Thank you anyway."

"No problem. I hope you feel better. Lindsay and Bridgette _are_ worried for you after all," Trent turned to leave and I laid back down in my bed, "Oh and by the way, you'll won't believe the prize we're getting for winning the challenge."

"What prize?"

"We're going tomorrow for an all-expense paid trip to a tuck shop. Isn't that neat?"

A tuck shop, huh? That does sound neat actually. I can just taste the amount of chocolate that I'll be eating tomorrow.

Mmmmm… chocolate…

"That does sound good. Thanks for telling."

"No problem," he turned to leave.

"Wait, one more thing," Trent stopped before the door, "Can you tell Lindsay that I'm sorry for being too harsh on her? Also, tell her that I'm feeling much better now."

"Sure Cody," and with that, he was gone.

I was alone again. This gives me time to recall some past events. Trent's right by the way. If Courtney's going to take money over friendships then there's no point in trying to change Courtney. She's who she is.

The best I could do is to move on.

But the two blondes, Bridgette and Lindsay, they're the closest friends I have here on this island. The two are beautiful in their own way, so nice, innocent and gentle. They're constantly concerned for my well being. Bridgette the most since I told her my darkest secret that I carried for a long time. Lindsay on the other hand is slowly becoming aware of my dark path.

The more I hang out with either of them or think about them, I can't stop thinking about them.

"I think I remember now why I used to love blondes so much," I muttered before falling asleep.

* * *

 **First off, I must apologize. I'm truly sorry for the long delay of this chapter. Some of you in the comments where asking me if I gave up on this story. I'll have you know that I'm not giving up on this story. I want to see it through till the end. Now on to the reasons for the delay.**

 **Reason One: I was hit with writer's block for this chapter. My original idea for this chapter was vastly different than what you've just read. It was also longer than originally.**

 **Reason Two:** **Schools and life work. I spend most of my January finishing up my college portfolio and studying for my exams. I'm in Grade 12 now and I need to focus on getting into College. Not to mention my second semester began back at the start of February so I need to focus on that too. I can just imagine how busy I'll be when I enter go to College.**

 **Reason Three:** **I wanted to take a bit of a break from this story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing my story. But I wanted to expand my experience in writing by writing some new fanfictions and more original story. In fact, during my two-month hiatus from this story, I began to write _another_ TD story I always wanted to write. I'll explain more on that later.**

 **Reason Four:** **I lost a little of my Total Drama spirit. Ever since the announcement of TD Daycare, I wasn't feeling all Total Drama like to me. Especially with the recent news that the network fired Megan Fahlenbock from the series. It really pissed me off. IBut if it weren't for the fanfictions, fanart, and the fanbase as a whole, my spirit might've passed on. But it's back an completely rejuvenated.**

 **Anyway, I like to talk about another fanfiction that I recently began. _THE CANADIAN AT EVER AFTER HIGH._ This one I'm doing is my own sequel to _Randompandattack's_ story The Canadian at Monster High. It's only three chapters in but I ask if you give my sequel a chance. The original author likes it.**

 **So go to my page and check out** ** _THE CANADIAN AT EVER AFTER HIGH._ If ****_Randompandattack_ likes it, you'll like it too.**

 **As for the next chapter, I plan to release it in a day or two. Anyway, see you later.**


	14. Chapter 13 - Nightmare's and Candy

**Before I begin this story, I want to give a quick shout out to TDDolphin. In case you don't know he's the author of some other popular TD fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts Cody's Story_ and _Ocean Falls High School_. Fun fact, KHCS was actually the story that sparked my interest in the CodyxBridgette pairing, otherwise known as _Codette_. If any, TDDolphin was another author who I took inspiration from in TD fanfics, so I thank you.**

 **Anyway's, on with the chapter!**

* * *

It's time for little ol' me to get up, but why does my bed feel harder than usual? And why am I feeling something heavy around my wrist?

I slowly opened my eyes to find that…

...What the heck?...

WHY AM I IN A FUCKING CELL!?

"W-W-What!?" I stuttered in fear.

Where am I? Why am I inside a prison cell of all places!? Why is it medieval looking!? And why are my wrist and ankles shackled together!?

Hold on… WHY AM I ONLY IN MY UNDERWEAR!?

I began to hyperventilate as I glanced around the cell rapidly. I'm not supposed to be in here! What crime did I do to have myself thrown into prison!?

Just then, two guards appeared from outside and they unlocked the door. I tried to get up but only to fell forward face first on the cold floor.

The two guards approached me and both held a spear at me.

"You are to be taken to the emperor at once!" one of them said.

"Wha-" I got hit in the head, almost knocked out.

"Stay silent commoner! Your fate shall be decided today!"

The guards went to either side of me and grabbed me up by my arms. They dragged me out of the cell and into some hallway.

I feel vulnerable as I was dragged. Other stationed guards watched me being taken somewhere. I could feel the stones and gravel grinding under my feet as I was being dragged.

After what seemed like an eternity, the guards threw me forward and I landed face first again. I think I broke my nose.

I got the strength to sit up on my knees. I found myself in some massive throne room. This room feels so dark and evil for some reason. I could see why; sitting on the throne was a man of nightmares.

Alejandro.

He was dressed in some attire that made him look like a Roman emperor. He wore a fancy toga, a dark robe, and wore a golden wreath on his head.

Emperor Alejandro, a perfect nightmarish figure.

Two other figures sat on either side of him on their knees...

Oh god no!

Lindsay and Bridgette!? NO!

They were both tied up with gags in their mouths while wearing matching pairs of a black skimpy bikini and bras.

Their face looked to be clouded with fear as they saw my predicament. I could even hear them trying to say something through their gags, only to be muffled.

"Lindsay… Bridgette…" I muttered under my breath.

After a long time, Alejandro finally spoke, "Well, well, well. The commoner who attempted to 'rescue' my wives."

Wives? WIVES!?

Fear clouded my face as well. Did he just refer to the two blondes as his wives?! What the fuck!

"And for trying to 'rescue' them from me, you are subjected to immediate beheading."

My face paled in horror, "Be-be-beheading?" I spoke in silence.

"Keep your tongue inside, commoner! Guards!?"

I was then placed inside a medieval stock. A basket was placed underneath my head.

"No…" I was sweating a lot faster than a rifle shooting its bullets.

Bridgette and Lindsay were going watch my execution. They began to whimper while tears filled their eyes.

"No… please!" I pleaded but to no avail.

An executioner came up next to me with an axe in his hand. He raised it over his head, ready to slice me. My heart was pounding, my face was sweating, I hyperventilated even faster…

"NOW!"

And then-

"GAAAAAAAA-"

* * *

"GAAAAAAAHHH!"

I woke up! But I continued to scream.

"GAAAAAAAHHH!"

I was freaking out so much that I accidentally fell off my bunk.

 _THUD!_

"Huh?!"

"Wha...? Cody?!"

My cabin mates have awoken. I didn't pay any mind to them though; I was still screaming.

"ALEJANDRO! ALEJANDRO! KILL ME! BRIDGETTE AND LINDSAY! SLAVES!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. My entire body shook with fear.

"Cody calm down!" I heard Trent, "It's just a-"

"NO! NO! MONSTER! TYRANT! FUCKING EMPEROR! **FUCKING RAPED LINDSAY AND BRIDGETTE!** "

I have to run away. I wanna run away. Away from it all! I got up and ran out of the cabin. It was morning by the way.

" **FUCKING RAPED LINDSAY AND BRIDGETTE! BEHEADED ME!"**

I lost my footing on the steps however and fell face first again into the grass.

"Cody!"

"Hold up!"

I got up on my knees and began to hyperventilate again. My cabin mates followed me out and came to either side of me. Just then, all the other campers exited their cabins, still wearing their pyjamas.

"What's going!?"

"The hell was that!?"

"I heard some screaming!"

"Are we under attack?!"

"Who woke me up?!"

"Who's yellin'?"

"CODY!"

"CODY?!"

Every camper from both teams swarmed around me. Some of them concerned, confused, or both. Particularly two girls.

"CODY!" the two female blondes came to my side.

"What happened!?" Bridgette asked my cabin mates.

"We don't know! He woke up screaming and was yelling about getting beheaded by some emperor and rape," Trent said.

"He also kept mentioning you two, as in you two were the raped victims," Noah added.

I didn't see the two blonde's reactions, but I believe they blushed hearing that info.

"Cody, look at me. Look at me," Bridgette ordered.

I wasn't able to, however. I was hyperventilating so much to even glance around me. But then I felt two soft hands holding my cheeks; my head lifted to face a concerned surfer.

"Cody, calm down. Just try to relax. We're here for you. None of us are leaving you."

My hyperventilating began to slowly die down as I continue to stare into Bridgette's eyes. I don't know how, but just by looking at them brought comfort to me.

"B-Bridgette," I said. I notice the other blonde, "L-Lindsay."

"Calm down, alright. Just slow your breathing. You're gonna be fine."

"Don't be scared, Cody," I felt Lindsay place her hand on my shoulder.

These two… Just looking at them makes me feel so… so…

"The heck is going on here?"

Why does he have to come here at all times? Can't he just leave us be?

"Normally I'd be the one to wake you all up an early time. But you guys did it on your own," Chris said as he arrived on the scene, "What's up with Cody?"

"Can't you just leave us be?" Bridgette said, "He needs some space."

"And he's not looking good, he's scared," Lindsay added.

"Scared of what?" Chris pressed on.

"Something that doesn't concern you, obviously," Noah grumbled.

Maybe I should try speaking. I feel calmer now, "I'm… I'm alright… I'm fine… I'll live," I said softly.

"Thank god," Bridgette pulled me into a hug, Lindsay hugged from the side.

"Dude, what were you so on about? You were screaming like the world was ending or something," I heard Trent asked.

"Also your hysterical screaming woke me up," said Heather, who was more concerned for her rest.

"The hell with you? Can't you show some heart for White boy here?" Leshawna glared at Heather.

Bridgette and Lindsay helped me up to my feet.

"Come on, let's get you back inside," Bridgette said.

"But are we, like, not suppose to go inside Cody's cabin?" Lindsay asked.

"Normally I wouldn't allow it, but I'll just make an exception just this once," said Chris. Did he just say something humane for once?

The two blondes walked me back into the cabin with Noah and Trent following behind.

"Bridgette, what the hell are you doing?! You can't-"

"LAY OFF WILL YOU COURTNEY!? CAN'T YOU AT LEAST SHOW SOME CONCERN FOR YOUR FORMER _FRIEND_ THAT YOU TURNED YOUR BACK ON!? _"_ Bridgette yelled at Courtney.

The Mocha skinned brunette was taken aback.

* * *

 **Confessional - Courtney**

"Did she just told me off?!" Courtney said dumbfounded.

* * *

I sat under my bunk feeling a little better. Lindsay and Bridgette sat on either side of me while trying to comfort me. Noah and Trent stood in front of me.

"Are you feeling better now, Cody?" Lindsay asked.

"A little," I muttered.

"Your face tells a different story. You still feel disturbed by whatever disturbed you, right?" Noah said in his usual monotone.

"Noah, can't you show some concern for your best friend?" Bridgette glared at the bookworm.

"Hey, Trent and I were there by his side first, and that's a lot coming from me."

"You really gave us a scare there, dude," Trent told me, "What kind of nightmare did you have that almost made you go feral?"

I wasn't able to answer because I was still taken aback by that nightmare.

"Wait, didn't you, like, tell me you had a nightmare a few nights ago?" Lindsay still remembers?

Everyone was dumbfounded.

"You mean to tell us you were having some nightmares before and you didn't tell us?" Bridgette asked. Her level of concern was rising.

"When did that happen?" Trent asked.

"After the first challenge, I think. He woke up in the middle of the night and me-"

"Will you please stop talking like I'm not around?" I interrupted.

"Well, looks like you found your voice again," Noah said.

"Cody, please tell us. What kind of nightmares you're having? Were you having them every night?" Bridgette asked.

They're really starting to get pushy. I can't tell them my actual nightmares because they'll become suspicious. I hate to do this, but I need to leave some details out.

"I don't remember much from my last few nightmares," I began, "As for my first, I remember falling down some dark void and everyone laughing at me. My cheek was cut open by a knife by one of the campers here."

"Who?"

"...Gwen."

Everyone stared at me.

"Gwen?" Trent asked concerned.

"I honestly don't know why it is her specifically. I mean, I know we don't see eye to eye but…"

I remained quiet.

"Did you woke up right after she cut you?" Noah asked.

"No, it was after I got the worst nightmare of mine. From a stalker."

"A stalker? Who?"

I debated whether if I should say Sierra's name.

"I… don't know…" I lied.

"Well… what about today? What got you so freaked out?" Trent asked.

"Last night… I was being beheaded by some evil latin emperor. It terrified me, and…" I turned to the two blondes, "You two were there, watching me get beheaded."

The two blondes looked shocked, "W-What?"

"You two were right by the emperor's side. He said that you were his 'wives'. It didn't take long to realize that 'wives' was another word for 'raped victims'."

Their facial expressions turned frightened.

"We were raped?" Lindsay asked scared.

"I didn't see it, but I figured you might've been."

"Who was this latin guy anyway?" Bridgette asked.

I didn't answer that question. I can't tell them about Alejandro.

"Dreams tend to come from things you've experienced and what you witnessed in life, meaning you had some trouble with a latin guy," Noah said.

I tried to think of an alternate answer, "Yeah, I had a run in with a latin guy. He was a transfer student at high school. He used his looks to get what he wanted and was also very sneaky and crafty. He was so crafty that he actually managed to split some close friendships and caused some tension. No one had an idea it was him because he was so good in acting innocent. I was one of the few who saw through his act, but no one believed me."

"What happened to him?" Bridgette asked.

"He moved back to Mexico by the time I entered the tenth grade. So recently I guess," my face hardened, "But I swear, he was one of the worst people I ever knew. He's a snitch, a molester, and he literally had the entire female student body under his command."

I paused before continuing.

"I just want these nightmares to stop. Please."

Bridgette and Lindsay then pulled me into another hug.

"Cody, you don't have to worry. If you have any more nightmares, come and talk to me," Bridgette consoled me.

"And me too," Lindsay added.

* * *

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"I'm actually less worried when he told us that Lindsay and I were slaves in his dreams and more worried on what he's been through," Bridgette said in concern, "He suffered from bullies, depression, suicidal thoughts, and as of now Oneirophobia? What else did he suffer from?"

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"Cody's not okay. He's been sick for like a really really long time! What do I do to help him?!" Lindsay said.

* * *

"Not trying to ruin the moment here, but you're not alone, you know?" I heard Trent say.

The two blondes noticed this and let go me. Aw man, I was really starting to relax.

"Attention Gopher's, just wanted to remind you all that your tuck shop trip is in one hour so be prepared by then," Chris announced through the loudspeaker, "And side note, hope you are all in good condition to go, otherwise you'd be missing out on an awesome experience."

I knew that last part was directed to me.

"Well, I guess it's my time to leave," Bridgette said rather reluctantly, "Hope you have fun," she gave me one last hug and exited the cabin.

"I have to get ready too," Lindsay said, also giving me a hug, "I'll see you later, Cody," she got up and left.

I was alone with Trent and Noah now.

"We might as well get ready too," Noah broke the silence.

"You know Cody, Bridgette and Lindsay are right. If you ever have any more trouble with something, just come and talk to us. We'll be all ears for you," Trent assured me.

"Thanks, I guess," I said.

I'm really glad to have them as my friends.

* * *

An hour has past and I was in my everyday wear. Trent told me that two helicopters are supposed to come and take us to this tuck shop. I was waiting along with the rest of my team.

Suddenly, the team and I heard the sound of blades whizzing.

From the skies, two helicopters descended. Once they landed Chris got out of one of them.

All of the members of our team gathered.

"Gophers, I hope you are ready for your next challenge!" wait, what?! "Just kidding. Enjoy your little field trip, and be sure to tell the Killer Bass about all of the awesome stuff that they missed. Haha."

I have a feeling Heather will.

"Anyway, all boys in one helicopter and all girls in the other."

I had a feeling this would be another gender grouping. Chris really wanted to avoid lawsuits. He was already taking a risk when Lindsay and Bridgette helped me back to my cabin earlier.

"Finally, we're returning to civilization," Heather said.

"Actually Heather, the Tuck Shop you're going to is in an undisclosed location, and you guys will be the only ones there," Chris said.

"You mean we won't be seeing any normal people?" Gwen said. What does she mean by normal anyway?

"That's right Gwen."

"Dammit!"

"Anyway, it's time for you guys to go."

We got in as Chris told us too. I was with Noah and Trent in the same 'copter.

We took off, creating a circle of dust and leaves all around them. Good thing the doors were closed.

We were quiet for a bit.

"So, Trent, what's happening between you and Gwen? Any improvements?" I asked.

"Can we please not discuss my predicament with Gwen?" he pleaded.

"That reminds me," Noah joined in, "Did you lashed at Gwen because of that dream you had?"

"What are you talking about?" Trent wondered, confused. Oh boy.

"After you left, Gwen accused Cody of stealing her diary, and he lashed at her for it," Don't tell him that Noah!

"You lashed at Gwen?" Trent glared at me.

"Hey, hey, I regret doing it. I just haven't found the proper time and place to apologize to her yet," I reassured the musician.

"Did that dream had anything to do with you yelling at her?" Noah asked.

"Well… something along the lines," I tried answering.

"What do you mean?"

"It's complicated, alright? Can we just not talk about my dreams anymore?"

"And of Gwen?" Trent added.

"Fine."

It was quiet again. Noah was reading his book, I played on my DS and Trent was looking out the window in deep thought.

I was also in deep thought while I played my game. There had to be a reason for why God sent me back to compete again. Right now I'm suffering from unnecessary drama and tension, something that I would've loved to avoid. What can I do?

After some time flying, the helicopter landed. We all got out of our respective 'copters.

"Mr. McLean wants you all to be back by five o'clock," said one of the pilots.

"Mr. McLean?" Heather asked with a raised eyebrow.

The only people who'd call him Mr. McLean would be those who have respect for him. None of us hold any respect for Chris.

Izzy than went on another tangent on being abandoned, "It would be so cool to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere. We would have to find our own way back to camp. Wouldn't that be cool Noah?" The redhead asked him suddenly.

"Yeah. That would be _totally_ awesome. I could die, but it would _definitely_ be awesome," Noah said with sarcasm.

"Of course it would," The redhead replied, oblivious to his sarcasm.

I swear there's something going on between those two.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go in!" The crazy redhead shouted.

The building we were entering was rather big. It has sign that says 'Tuck Shop' in glowing fluorescent red letters.

When we entered the store our mouths began to drool saliva.

Right there in front of us was nearly every snack that I longed for in the past two weeks.

There were peanuts, cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn, cookies, ice cream, donuts, marshmallows, nachos, bagels, crackers, cupcakes, soda pop, sandwiches, juices, burgers, instant soup, and candy bars.

It was all there. Everything! My mouth began to drool at the sight in front of me.

"Heaven…" I mumbled.

This place _was_ pure heaven. It feels like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory all over again.

"So Cody, I'm going to go on a limb here and say that you're going to go for the chocolate first, right?"

My mind went blank after hearing that word.

Chocolate… chocolate… CHOCOLATE!...

"CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE!" I ran to the nearest chocolate stand and dived headfirst into it.

I began to devour every chocolate I could find. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white, caramel, nut, cocoa, chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream, Mexican chocolate…

I managed to devour at least three full chocolate bars in under ten seconds. I felt like a savage beast eating its prey.

This was living one the best parts of my childhood all over again.

I'm both happy and unhappy that Owen isn't here. Unhappy for he would've loved all of this, and happy since he wouldn't leave anything for the rest of us. Not to mention he'd be farting a lot.

"You look really familiar," I heard Lindsay's voice. She was looking at some guy behind the cash register. She's right, he looked familiar.

"What? No, I don't."

"Yeah. You look awfully similar to the Chef from our summer camp." Noah came alongside her.

"I don't look like Chef Hatchet!"

"We never told you his name…" Noah said.

"Alright, fine. Chris told me to disguise as a cashier to keep an eye on you crazy kids."

"Great disguise," Noah said.

"Whatever. Just know that you maggots gotta be outta this place by five o'clock."

All of this was far better than Chef's food, though I didn't say it out loud.

We continued to munch on our snacks. The producers are going to be paying a lot of money after this trip. And I mean _a lot_.

While we were eating, it seemed like all of my worries and feelings went away. The diary incident, my nightmares, the fights I had, me being so depressed, it felt as I was leaving it all behind in some vast desert.

I haven't felt this happy in days, and it was amazing!

I wonder how the Killer Bass are doing?

* * *

 _(Meanwhile)_

While the Gopher's and I were having a good time the Bass's, on the other hand, weren't.

For example, Sadie was constantly crying over Katie getting eliminated. I learned this from Trent while we were getting ready for our tuck shop trip.

Also, tension seemed high within the team. Preferably between Courtney and the other Bass members. The way that Courtney was treating her teammates and how she acted fed the tension

It was fed upon more when Bridgette told Courtney off earlier that day. You know, when Bridgette helped me back into my cabin and lashed back at Courtney for not showing some heart?

Courtney was really starting to get on Bridgette's nerves, especially for the past few days. Ever since she threw away our friendship, she has been nothing but cold and strict to everyone just for bonding with a Gopher boy, me.

It was lunchtime back on the island and all the Bass members were having their 'lunch' (Chef saved them some of his food before coming to watch us).

In the Mess Hall Bridgette analyzed the scene in front of her. She saw Courtney sitting alone attempting to stuff her food into her mouth. Remembering what happened earlier she frowned and took a breath. She got up and walked to where Courtney was sitting. Once she was next to Courtney she coughed into her hand to get her attention.

"Ahem," Bridgette coughed.

Courtney looked up, "Yes Bridgette?"

"Outside, now."

"I'm sorry?"

"Outside now. In private," the surfer said more sternly.

Courtney sighed and got up, "Fine."

The two walked outside of the Hall. After a short distance, Bridgette crossed her arms and glared at the C.i.T.

"What's your problem?" Bridgette said getting to the point.

"What are you talking about?" Courtney asked.

"Don't try to weasel your way out of this, Courtney. Ever since you threw away your friendship with Cody you've been nothing but a horrible and cold-hearted person that doesn't show any respect for her teammates, nor is she showing even a small portion of concern to those that suffer around you. Now tell me right this instance. What's your problem?"

Courtney was caught off guard the second time today. First, her friend yells back at her, and now she's interrogating her? She tried to answer before being interrupted.

"And don't even say that he's on the other team. These teams don't mean that much anyway since we're bound to compete independently later in the game."

Courtney had lost her patience, "Well what else do you want me to say!? I can't just go and talk to someone and focus on the game together at once. I need to focus on one thing only. I came on this show to win, and that's my goal from here on out."

"It couldn't hurt to relax a few times and get to know the others here?"

"I can't relax! I have to be on guard at all times and make sure I don't get bested by my enemies. I can't show weakness. I need to be perfect otherwise I can't get anywhere in life!"

"So basically, your not human."

Courtney's eyes widened, "What?"

"Even I know there isn't such a thing as a 'perfect' human. Every human has its flaws. I have flaws, Cody has flaws, you have flaws! Having flaws show's your human. A human who lacks flaws isn't a human, but rather a statue."

"And what do you know? You never experienced what I've been through from where I live!"

"Your right, I never been through the same thing as you have, but I can assure you that everyone on this planet isn't the same people like the ones you've been around."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because unlike you, I had the will to walk up to that person and get to know him or her personally without jumping to an immediate conclusion!"

"I never jump to conclusions!"

"Really? Like back during the cliff diving challenge when you said that more than half of the Gopher's weren't going to jump? Like when you thought that Duncan was able to outlast the Gophers during the Awake-a-thon? Like the time when you thought Harold doesn't have talent? Or what about-"

"Okay, okay okay! I get it! I tend to take a lot of risks here. But that still doesn't excuse the fact that I need to be aware of my enemies!"

"Even me?" Bridgette glared.

Courtney tried to respond but didn't say anything.

"I knew it. Even after all the time we've spent together you still don't completely trust me."

"Well, how can I? You're constantly hanging around Cody, and he's a Gopher!

"What doom could I possibly bring from hanging out with a member who's on the other team?"

"You could start throwing challenges to keep him in the game! You might even be in an alliance with him that will grow more powerful later on."

"Really, you think that it be easy to form an alliance with Cody as of now since we're competing against each other?"

"There's always a way around these obstacles," Courtney stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, I don't see the way around this obstacle, Courtney. All I'm doing is having some friendly chats with Cody while also helping him conquer his depression."

Courtney raised an eyebrow, "Depression? What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember? How he freaked out over a horrible nightmare he had? Which had something to do with one of the worst moments in his life? Or what about the way he's been lashing at everyone who upsets him? Didn't he tell you that he hates those that are heartless and shows no remorse to anyone?"

Courtney still wasn't convinced though, "He could've been just acting to get himself further into the game."

"His words sounded too detailed and realistic to sound as if he were acting."

"Then he's a very good actor."

"HE TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE!"

That got Courtney to shut up. Her eyes widened after hearing those five words. She was unable to speak any more words after that.

As for Bridgette, her eyes widened as she realized what she slipped out of her mouth. She quickly looked around to make sure no one heard her. Luckily no one did.

The surfer sighed and continued, "I shouldn't have blurted it out, but I have no choice now. Cody tempted suicide when he was eleven. He told me that he almost shot himself in the head with a gun that his dad used to own, and he was doing it on his own will. He was so close to taking his own life away before he reminded himself at the very last second that what he was doing was wrong."

Courtney was starting to feel scared after hearing this, "H-How? W-Why?"

"He suffered from years of being neglected as a child. He suffered from being physically picked upon by his older peers at his old school. He didn't have anyone that could comfort him when he needed it the most. He barely had any friends. All the friends he thought he had didn't feel the same way to him. Basically, he's been going through a state of depression, and still is to some regard. He just doesn't realize it.

"Perhaps that's one of the reasons he's been cruel as of late. You're acting like one of Cody's peers that treated him horribly and never took up his friendship offer. All I'm doing is giving Cody the comfort that he needed after a very long time. He needs comfort, something that you've been doing before. That bond you two had during the Awake-a-thon was enough to give him comfort, and you betrayed him just because you two aren't teammates."

By now Bridgette told Courtney everything she needed to hear about me. Courtney wasn't saying anything. Her brain must be having a hard time processing this new info. I mean, how often do you come across someone that admits that they almost killed themselves?

"These enemies you have are of your doing, Courtney. You may not realize this, but Cody hates you for throwing away the bond you two had. I would feel the same way if one of my friends all of a sudden betrays me."

Bridgette let out a sigh As she finished saying her last words. It was now up to Courtney's to decide whether to heed Bridgette's words or not.

Bridgette turned around and headed back to the Mess Hall; she turned to Courtney one last time saying, "You should feel lucky. I don't plan to vote you out anytime soon. But if you continue to act like the way you were, I might have second thoughts on my vote," and with that, she went back inside.

Courtney was left outside as she continued to reflect on Bridgette's words.

* * *

 **Confessional - Courtney**

"Did he really… try to kill himself?" she said dumbfounded.

* * *

Our time at the tuck shop was slowly coming to a close. Chef told us we had fifteen minutes left. Time sure flies when you're doing something you enjoy doing, like eating good food.

"Good thing I brought my bag," I said as I began to load a bunch of candy bars in it.

"Actually, you can't take any of the stuff here with you," Wait for what?! "… Just kidding. Man, you kids take things way too seriously these days,"

Oh, thank god. I almost had a heart attack!

"Woohoo! I'm the fastest thing ever!"

Why was Izzy running around the shop? She'll get sick if she continues this. Is she on caffeine or something?

"Izzy, what are you doing?" Gwen asked her.

"I'm the Road Runner! _Beep Beep!_ Wee! You should join me, Noah!"

"Yeah, I rather stay put," Noah muttered.

"Alright! That's enough horsing around! Get your butts outta here."

"Aren't you going to come with us too, cook?" Lindsay asked.

"Yeah. And I'm a chef, not a cook."

Aw man Lindsay, we could've left him here. Chris would've then hired a real Chef.

Then again, the helicopters can come back for Chef easily.

We exited the shop as the helicopters slowly descended. After a minute of wind blowing in our face, they touched down.

"Looks like I'm sitting with you guys," said Chef, "Unless the ladies…"

"No!" The girls all shouted together. I wouldn't want to imagine Chef sitting near them.

"I'll sit with them," I offered.

"NO!"

"YES!"

All the girl's eyes were on Lindsay.

"Uh, I mean, n-no."

I meant it as a joke by the way.

Chef sat with us boys and the Roflcopter took off.

Heh, my Roflcopter goes soi soi soi soi soi soi soi soi soi soi soi soi soi soi…

Okay, that jokes already old.

"So, has there been any drama on the show lately?' Chef asked us.

"A lot more than necessary," Noah said.

"You know, I'm still trying to figure out that diary incident."

"New topic please," Trent said.

"I agree," I added.

Chef spent the rest of the ride thinking about a new topic to talk about, and the rest of us were quiet.

I had such a great, but we have to return to the island. Chris was waiting there, the place with all the drama in the world

Oh boy.

* * *

 **Here we go, another chapter posted in less than a day. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **A lot of you have been criticising me that I copying and pasting too much of PurpleBandits3000's words into my own story. I'm sorry if this annoys you, especially to PB himself. However, I can never past up scenes like the tuck shop scene and the disguised Chef scene. I had to include them in my story. But don't worry, I wrote it differently to avoid any direct similarities and deja vu. I also changed the scenes a little. And I already have ideas for more original content within my story.**

 **Hopefully, the next chapter won't be delayed for a few months. Anyways, see you next time.**


	15. Chapter 14 - Fear Aspect

**Another chapter in just a few days! I'm on a role as of late.**

* * *

Noah, Trent and I where just lounging in our cabins doing nothing really. It was night time by the way.

I sat on my bed playing on my DS, Trent was busy tuning his guitar, and Noah was reading another one of his books. How many books does Noah even have?

I snuck a glance at Trent who was tuning his guitar which reminded me of my own instrument. I haven't played on my keyboard since the talent contest. Mostly because I was busy moping around and feeling sad. I feel better now, the trip to the tuck shop really lifted a ton of weight off of me, but coming back to the island really makes me moody.

Maybe I should play my keyboard again sometime. It might also help me out of my issue.

Before I could think about it more, there was a knock at the door. I paused my game and went to see who it was. It was the Gopher girls from next door.

Beth was also holding a plate of green Jello in her hands.

"Good evening mam's," I greeted in a poor British accent, "What business of such fine ladies such as yourselves come to seek from such kind and generous gentlemen such as ourselves?"

"Drop the accent dork," Heather said a bit rude, "We need you to come with us."

"Where to?" Trent asked.

"Sadie was crying non-stop ever since Katie left. We felt sorry for her and wanted to cheer her up," Gwen said.

"So the Green Jello's for the Bass then?" I asked.

"Yep. We wanted to thhow thome thporthmanthhip," Beth said.

"Is that the _only_ reason?" Noah asked skeptically.

"I think me spilling a jar of perfume on the floor may have something to do with it," Lindsay said with hesitancy.

"So you wanna come with?" Izzy asked.

You know, this could give me a good opportunity to hang with Bridgette. Also, the perfume smell was seeping in and it was starting to bug us. Not to mention it was rather strong.

We headed for the campfire pit to find the Bass gathered around the fire and Sadie crying. For some reason, she was also holding onto a plank as she cried.

The Bass noticed us, "What do _you_ guys want? Come to rub it in our face?" Courtney asked.

"That's what Chris told us to do," Lindsay said and Gwen elbowed her, "Ow! What?"

Wow, I'm impressed. She remembers Chris's name! Looks like those lessons are starting to pay off.

"We got some extra dessert after our Tuck Shop trip," Trent said. "We thought you might want some."

"So what? You're just being _nice_?" Courtney will never understand unselfishness.

"Fine, Lindsay's perfume spilled, and the smell enveloped our cabin so we're waiting for it to be aired out," Gwen answered.

"Good thing it wasn't my deluxe brand, or it would be hard to replace that one," Lindsay said.

Beth then went over to Courtney to hand her the Jello.

"GAAH!" Courtney shrieked, "I mean, no thanks I'm good."

"Are you on a diet or something?" Duncan asked her.

"No! I just don't like green jelly okay?" She replied.

Beth tried handing it over to DJ. It was a bad move.

"SNAKE!" he screamed and knocked the Jello out of Beth's hand and into the ground.

Like last time, I went over to pick out the gummy worm from the remains.

"Chill dude. It's just a gummy worm," I said.

"Sorry for trippin'. Snakes just freak me out," The big guy said.

"I feel you," Tyler said, putting a hand on DJ's back, "Chickens give me the creeps dude."

"You're afraid of chickens?" Gwen asked the jock.

"Wow. That's… that's really lame, man," Duncan said.

Not really, chickens can be pretty aggressive when provoked.

…

 **Confessional - Gwen**

"So suddenly everyone was having this massive share fest around the fire. Beth went on and on that her mortal fear is being covered in bugs, Harold's scared of ninja's, Leshawna's afraid of spiders, and even Heather's afraid of sumo wrestlers."

…

"What's _my_ worst fear? I guess… being buried alive," Gwen said.

"Walking through a minefield. In heels," Said Lindsay who was sitting next to me.

Walking _in_ a minefield is scary enough.

"I would never go up in a plane. Never," Izzy said.

"I'm scared of hail. It's small, but deadly dude," Geoff said.

"Being left alone in the woods," Bridgette admitted, also sitting on my other side.

"Bad haircuts," Sadie said.

"Oh okay, I change mine!" Lindsay said. "That's soooo much scarier than a minefield."

"I'm afraid of needles," Noah said, "With all the allergies I have, I have to be around them a lot, and they freak me the heck out." **[1]**

Huh, interesting.

"I'm not really afraid of anything," Courtney said matter-of-factly.

"Baloney." Duncan coughed.

"Oh really? What exactly is _your_ phobia Mr. Know-It-All?"

Ooooh, I remember this moment. The lamest fear out of them all. I think.

Our eyes were on Duncan. Hesitant, Duncan still answered quickly, "C-Celine Dion music store standees."

Ha! That's even lamer than chickens!

"Haha! Excuse Moi, may you repeat that? I presume none of us quite caught that," I mocked in a poor French accent.

"Dude? Did you say Celine Dion music store standees?" Trent asked him.

Duncan just hid his face behind his hands.

"Oh, I love Celine Dion!" Lindsay said. "What's a standee?"

"You know. That cardboard cut-out thing that stands in a music store." Trent answered.

"Don't say it, dude!" Duncan yelled.

"Kind of like a life-sized, but flat Celine," Trent said anyway.

"So if we had a cardboard standee right now…" Courtney started.

"Shut up!" The punk yelled. "What about you guys?" He asked us.

"Okay, well, I hate mimes. Like a lot," Trent said.

All eyes were on me now. Oh boy, what should I say that's my biggest fear? Last time I said diffusing a time bomb under pressure. But I only said that to look cool.

I hate doing things under pressure in general, but I don't want to say it and risk doing something dangerous.

What other fears do I have that I hate but are not dangerous?

Think me, think.

Hmm…

"Bull riding. That's something that I'd like to avoid," I said.

That was a lie by the way. Bull riding isn't a fear of mine. I just thought of it out of the blue.

All the other fears I have are related to some of my personal issues, and I'm not gonna take a risk with my 'under pressure' fear.

Besides, how hard can bull riding be anyway?

"Alright Courtney, you're afraid of something, spit it out," Trent said.

"Nope. Nothing."

Duncan snickered. "That's not what she said last night,"

"Duncan, did you ever consider that I was just humouring you and your stupid story?"

"Sure, sure, princess. Whatever floats your boat," The punk replied.

"Shut up!"

"Aw come on, Courtney. We all told you our fears," Geoff said.

"No way. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to bed," She left.

Was it just me, or did I see Courtney cast a quick glance at me? A sad one at that?

I think it's just me.

Maybe it's a good time to leave the pit. I said my goodnight to Bridgette and Lindsay and left.

* * *

 _(The next morning)_

I woke up the next morning feeling a weird sensation in my stomach. If I had to guess, the chocolates are coming back up.

I walked out of the cabin to take my shower. Before that though, I puked in the sink. I stuffed myself way too much then I did the first time. Which was weird because I tend to have a huge sweet tooth.

I took my bath and when I headed back to the cabin, I saw Geoff talking with Courtney.

I was able to overhear their conversation.

"What is it, then? Are you afraid of the dark?"

"No. I'm not a little kid!"

"Then what?"

"Sorry. Not telling."

I wanted to yell out 'Green Jelly', but Courtney will become suspicious of me. I ignored them and went back inside. Noah and Trent were waking up.

"Morning guys," I greeted.

"Morning," they said at once.

"I saw Geoff talking with Courtney. He really wants to know what her fear is."

"She's afraid of opening up," Noah said.

"Well, it's not like our fears will be used against us," I said with a grin.

I heard a growl. Noah's stomach growled.

"Excuse me," he said as he rushed out of the cabin. He must've gone to puke too.

"So Cody. How was your sleep last night? You didn't have any nightmares did you?" Trent asked.

"No, I don't think so," I answered honestly, "It was another usual sleep for me. But, then again, I'd really like to avoid any more nightmares in the future."

"You know if you ever have trouble sleeping, you should have something with you to sleep more comfortably," Trent said.

"Like a teddy bear or something?"

"Sure. Any stuffed animal is fine."

"If I knew I'd be having these nightmares, I would've brought my old teddy bear that I kept as a child."

"Come on man, there's always something else that could comfort give."

"Like what?"

"Maybe Lindsay or Bridgette?"

I raised my eyebrow.

"Lindsay or Bridgette?"

"If it wasn't for the non-coed rule, I'd suggest one of them would do good. Heck, even both at once will do."

I forced a laugh, "hehe, yeah it would be cool."

Just then, Noah walked back into the cabin.

"What did I miss?" he said.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"What am I gonna do?" I wondered, "Lindsay and Bridgette like me a lot. At least, I can confirm Lindsay, and Bridgette seems to be going at a slower pace. But what can I do? How do I respond to this? I'm not even sure if I can handle being a boyfriend in this state."

* * *

I was eating my breakfast along with everyone else. It was quiet in the Mess Hall. No one said a word.

A whistle broke the silence, which came from none other than Chris McLean. The campers and I turned to him.

"Good morning campers," Chris said, "today's challenge is a little game I like to call 'Phobia Factor'! Prepare to face your worst fears!"

Oh man, it's starting.

"Worse than this?" Leshawna asked as she held up her 'food'.

"We're in trouble, " Gwen said.

Chris continued, "Starting with our first victim, Heather! It's sumo wrestling time!"

Heather spat her drink on Trent's face.

"Gwen. You, me, the beach. A few tons of sand." Gwen's jaw dropped open.

"Wait, how did _they_ know those were your worst fears?" Lindsay asked.

"Because we told them," Gwen said, grumbling.

"At the campfire last night," Trent said.

"Wait. They were listening to us?" Lindsay asked.

"It's a reality show, Einstein. They're always listening to us," Gwen said.

"But that's, like, Eavesdropping!" Lindsay said.

"Chef Hatchet, didn't you have a special order for Tyler here today?"

Chef pulled out from a cardboard box a fried chicken and gave it to Tyler. The jock looked unsure at first but ate the head off. Then all of a sudden, a live chicken popped out of the hole!

"AAAAA!" Tyler screamed as he dropped the chicken and ran outside.

"Chef, you go get him. The rest of you, come with me," Said Chris.

Now it's starting for real this time.

* * *

Our first stop was an inflatable pool.

"We're going swimming?" Lindsay asked.

"Nope. Only Beth is. And she's going to be swimming in insects!"

DJ threw up at the site of the many bugs in the pool. There were so many of them crawling in there.

I decided to give Beth some words of wisdom, "Relax Beth. It's as Franklin D. Roosevelt always say. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Beth nodded at me. She gulped and with hesitation, jumped into the pool.

She came in a while later, covered in bugs but smiling.

"And Beth sets the bar _way_ up there," Chris said as we cheered. "That's one point for the Gophers."

Time for the next round. Or in this case a double round.

He led us back to the Mess Hall and pulled out two ugly wigs.

"Ladies, if you please."

Lindsay and Sadie reluctantly walked up to Chris. He placed the wigs on their heads.

"If you can wear these until I tell you to take them off, you win a point for your team."

Round three. We heard a plane flying above us.

"Is that…" Izzy started.

"A plane? Right you are, Izzy," Chris said.

Izzy gulped and we all went outside.

We saw Chef in a pilot outfit step out of a plane, and oh boy was the plane in poor condition. And Chef is going to fly it.

"You can do it, Izzy," Noah told her.

She got on while muttering in fear, "I'm going to die now. I'm going to frickin' die now."

And with that, the plane took off.

Round four. I think I remember Harold being next.

"Time to send Harold a surprise," Chris said maliciously. He pulled out a cell phone and dialled a number, "Bring in the ninjas."

Ninjas descended onto the roof of the men's bathroom. They then cut a hole on top and went down.

"Um… that'll be fixed, right?" Trent asked.

"Haha, you're funny," Chris said. All the male teens glared at him including me. "Okay, fine. We'll fix it."

The door opened. Three ninjas came out of the bathroom holding the nerd.

"It looks likes that Harold fainted from the sight," Chris said, even though Harold actually knocked himself out with his nunchucks.

Round five. Who's up next I wonder?

"Noah, you're up next!" Chris announced.

"Sweet, I'm just dying to do my challenge," Noah said sarcastically.

Chris led us to a table near the cabins. He had Noah lay on it.

"Alright Noah, to face your fear of needles, all you gotta do is let me take a little bit of blood from you," Chris said.

"That doesn't sound too hard."

"Nah, not hard at all," Chris then pulled out a _freakishly_ large needle. Noah's eyes grew wide with fear after seeing it. I was scared too, "This is only going to sting a bit."

Chris stuck the needle into Noah's right arm and-

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" oh god, his scream was so high pitched. It almost made my ears bleed.

Chris quickly took some blood out of him and pulled the needle out once he had enough.

"Or maybe a lot, hehe, point to the Gophers."

The Gophers cheered as Noah. His face became pale looking from the shock of the needle and he passed out.

I went up to my friend.

"Noah?" I tried waking him up but he wouldn't budge, "Noah?"

Might as well move on to round six.

He led us to the amphitheatre. I'm really getting tired of walking.

"Take your seats, campers and watch as Heather takes on her fear of sumo wrestlers."

Heather stepped onto the stage as did the sumo wrestler. I'm impressed that the weight of the sumo wrestler guy didn't collapse the stage.

Heather was shaking as the wrestler ran at her. She crouched and the sumo was unable to adjust accordingly and tripped off the stage.

"And Heather scores the Gophers their second point!" Chris announced, "Time for the next challenge!"

"We've been rushing all over the place. Can't we stop for at least five minutes?" Courtney asked who was also tired of walking.

"No can do, Ms. C-I-T. Let's go."

He led us to the edge of the forest.

"Tell me this isn't what I think it is," Bridgette said.

"If you can spend six hours alone in the forest, you'll earn your team a point. And I think they need it, seeing how much they're sucking right now."

"Hey!" The Killer Bass yelled in unison.

I decided to give Bridgette some words of wisdom, "Hey Bridgette, I know you can do. This is a cakewalk compared to what I had to go through."

She didn't say anything though. She just looked at me and stalked quickly into the woods leaving me confused.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"What was that all about?" I asked myself, "I was hoping that Bridgette would at least responded with a thank you or something like that. But no, she hesitantly looked at me and stalked into the woods," I began to feel worried, "I hope I didn't do anything."

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"I betrayed Cody!" Bridgette said worried, "I betrayed him by accidentally revealing his darkest secret to Courtney. Sure it got her to stop talking and think, but I still told her something that I wasn't allowed to! I mean, it could've been worst. Someone else would've heard me. Still, though, I did something horrible to him! How am I supposed to talk to him knowing that I something awful to him!? He'll hate me for sure!" She cried as a few tears began to slip from her eyes.

* * *

Now it was time for round eight.

We returned to the stage to find a glass box onstage.

DJ gulped and stepped on stage. It was kind of funny to see someone as big as DJ scared of something so small.

"Aaaaah! It blinked!" DJ said taking a few steps back.

"It means she likes you," Sadie said.

"It's the smallest snake ever, DJ! Come on." Duncan said.

"Actually, the smallest snake ever is the Barbados Threadsnake," Harold said "which is smaller than this one. Which, by the way, is a-."

"Can you just shut up already?" Chris asked, annoyed. "I want to enjoy people freaking out."

"It's so slimy, scaly, slithery-"

"That's more like it," Chris said.

"DJ, if you can't do it for us, do it for yourself," Courtney said. Did she just give DJ some encouragement?

The gentle giant took a deep breath to compose himself, and picked up the snake, earning his team their first points.

The Bass cheered. I was happy for the guy for facing his fear, even if he _was_ on the other team.

Round nine. I have a feeling on who's next.

"Trent, come on up please!"

I knew it.

The musician trotted up the stage and stopped next to Chris.

"What is it?" Trent asked.

"This," the host opened a box he was standing next to, where ever it came from, and out came a mime.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Trent ran away screaming with the mime following behind him.

"All you have to do is to make him go away," Chris called out to him, "Next!"

* * *

Round ten. We were back on the beach, and arrived was the talented nerd Harold.

"Sorry for blacking out guys," he apologized, "What did I miss?"

"Not much," Chris answered. "You're just in time to witness Gwen facing her fear: being buried alive," He motioned to a Plexiglas box in a dug up hole, "Step inside."

Gwen reluctantly did so. Chris closed the glass and began to cover it up with sand.

"So, who wants to dig her out after five minutes?"

Trent's busy with the mime, so Leshawna volunteered. Hopefully, she doesn't get distracted like Trent did last time.

"It's okay girl. You got this," Leshawna said.

"As long as we decide to dig you up."

"Not funny, Chris," Gwen said.

"Yeesh! Take a pill," he handed the two girls some walkie-talkies, "You can use these to communicate."

"Just yell if you need me," The soul sista said to the goth

"Goodbye cruel world," Gwen said as sand covered up the last of her box.

Time for round eleven to begin I guess.

We headed back to the cabins to see a Celine Dion standee positioned outside of the Bass cabin.

Oh man, this is going to be sweet.

"Duncan, if you could hug our lovely Ms. Celine Dion over there, you get a point," Chris said.

I stifled a giggle thinking how ridiculous his fear was.

Duncan looked at it in fear.

"I don't know man, that looks really real."

"Suck it up dude, she's made of cardboard," Tyler yelled.

"Come on Duncan. You won't even know what you did until afterwards," Courtney again reassured.

Duncan looked at the cutout again. After bracing himself for about ten seconds he shut his eyes, ran over to it, and hug it. Aw man.

"The Bass earns another point!" Chris announced.

Round twelve now. Who's next?

"Cody, you're up next!"

Oh no.

* * *

I was taken to some fenced location. Inside the fenced area was a large wild bull and he looks angry. I'm already nervous from just looking at him.

"All you have to do is last ten seconds on that bull to earn another point for your team," Chris explained to me.

"Uh, doesn't sound so bad," I said.

"Well actually, this bull here is actually one of the toughest bulls here in Canada. Many rodeo riders from across the country _may have_ gone to the hospital because of that bull."

May have?! Oh, FML.

I hesitantly made my way to the bull. He snarled in anger once I sat on him. I tightened my grip on the bull rope as I prepared for the inevitable.

"Release the bull!"

The gate opened and the bull began to jump up and down trying to buck me off. It was so tough and uncomfortable. I feel like I would fall off at every moment.

"WOAH! GAH! WOAH!" I said with every buck.

After eight seconds of riding on the bull, I lost my grip and was bucked off. I soared through the air before landing on my back with a good ow.

"Ow…" I moaned in pain.

Chris walked up to me, "Oh though luck for you, dude. No point for your team."

Aw man. Might as well move on.

* * *

I joined the others at the dock to see a wet Trent in the water and a disappointed mime. Noah was also there. He must've woken up while I was doing my challenge.

"Nicely played Trent," Chris said, "Unfortunately, I don't think things are going quite so smoothly for our buddy Geoff."

It was round thirteen now as Geoff was being covered in hail. Chris, Trent, and Noah were having a fun time messing with Geoff. I just stood on the sidelines.

"Can you make the cloud go lower and pelt him harder?" Trent asked.

"You are one sick dude. But yeah," The host answered.

And then Gwen came up to us. An angry Gwen.

"Leshawna forgot to dig me up. She only remembered after half an hour."

"Sorry girl, I got hungry," Leshawna tried to apologize, "And then Chris sent a huge spider on me. And then I went to the restroom-"

"You left your walkie-talkie here, so I could do nothing but wait for someone to dig me up."

Looks like round fourteen has passed.

Just then, we heard a loud scream coming from the forest.

"Seems like Bridgette's having a tough time," Chris said. I glared at him.

The rickety plane from before landed and Izzy came out of it. She accomplished her fear.

"Izzy lands safely. The Gopher's lead 6-2," he then turned to Lindsay and Sadie, "I almost forgot. Sadie, Lindsay, you can take your wigs off now."

"We did it! We made it through the whole day!" Lindsay said.

The two took their wigs off.

"I totally forgot how cute you are!" Lindsay said.

"Oh my gosh! You are too!" Sadie replied.

"Alright, enough of this mushy lovey-dovey stuff. I want _fear_!" Said Chris. "Five-minute break, then we'll start the final leg."

Finally a break. I returned back to the cabins along with Noah and Izzy.

"So how did the rodeoing go for you?" Izzy asked me.

"I was bucked off after eight seconds. Two seconds more and I would've gotten a point," I turned to Noah, "How do you feel?"

"I can still feel that blasted metal needle in my arm still. I also feel less blood flowing through my system," he grumbled, "I'll be having nightmares for days!"

"Welcome to my world," I said.

"Oh Noah, you're blood loss doesn't compare to mine. I donated _so_ much of my own blood, like a lot," Izzy said.

"Okay, campers. It's time for the final challenges!" Chris yelled through the loudspeaker.

"Let's go."

We all gathered at another fenced location. Much different than the one I was at earlier.

Time for round fifteen.

"Tyler, for your challenge, you need to get into this pen for three minutes with these chickens."

"You can do it, Tyler," Bridgette said.

"Yeah. Unless of course, you're chicken," Duncan added.

Tyler was just rocking back and forth outside the fence.

"I'm not sure we're getting anywhere on this one," Chris said.

"Tyler, this is the last challenge. You can still win this for us!" Courtney said.

Lucky for me, I had my trusty calculator out for this scenario, "Actually, if you do the math, you can't possibly win. The score is 7-3," I explained.

"Not necessarily," Chris said. "We've got one more challenge set up."

Of course, Courtney.

"Me? But it can't be me. I didn't even say my fear last night."

"You didn't have to," Chris said, "We're _always_ watching you and your reactions."

Was this the part where a flashback was played?

"I knew it," Lindsay said, "Didn't I tell you guys they were eavesdropping!"

"Shoot," Courtney muttered, "Well what's the point anyway? My team will still lose even if I do it."

"Then let's make this interesting," What is he planning? "If you face your fear, then I'll give you… er…" he then turned to me, "Hey Cody, what's the mathematical term for five times as much?"

"Quintuple?" I answered confused.

He turned back to Courtney, "I'll give you and your team _Quintuple_ points if you do your fear!"

What!?

"What? That's not fair!" I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Heather.

"Don't care, let's go."

We arrived at our last location of the challenge. There was a high dive along with a tub of green jelly underneath it.

Duncan snickered, "You're afraid of jelly?"

"Shut up! Only the green kind!" The C-I-T answered, "It's like sugary jiggly snot."

"You can face your fear and dive straight into this pool of jelly, or let your team lose yet another challenge."

Courtney was scared, "This is insane. I could seriously die just by doing this."

"Yep. There have been countless of deaths caused by jumping into a green jelly pool," Noah said.

"Is that true?" Lindsay asked me.

"Relax Linds', that claim is false," I answered.

Courtney continued to climb up until Gwen spoke.

"Oh. That is just cruel. It's probably warm by now. Warm, green jelly, snotty, bouncy, ugh!"

"You're not going to make me quit!" Courtney yelled from the ladder.

"That's it. Keep climbing!" Duncan yelled.

"She's just trying to psych you out!" Bridgette added.

Courtney reached the top of the high dive.

"Like you said, Courtney, it's okay if you can't do it!" When did she say that?

"It is? But we'll lose," Bridgette said.

After a while of waiting, Courtney called from the top, "I'm sorry but I can't do it. I'm coming down."

We won again! Sweet! The Gopher's and I cheered in victory.

"And there you have it. The Gophers win invincibility… again!"

Finally, our time running all around the island had ended. Can't believe I actually gone bull riding. Better than diffusing a time bomb still.

We headed back to our cabin. It was already getting late.

"You feel any better after that ejection?" I asked Noah.

"Not really, but I'll live," Noah answered.

When we returned to our cabin, I was surprised to see someone else there. It was Tyler from the Bass.

"And what do you want?" Noah asked the jock.

"I just need to tell Cody something in private," he replied.

Noah just shrugged and left us on our own. Why did he need to leave me?

"So, what's up?" I asked, a little bit worried.

"Well, in case you didn't know, I have a total crush on some sweet chick here. But apparently, she doesn't feel the same way."

I knew where this was going, "Yeah?..."

"Apparently, she has a crush on someone else. Someone else that's on her team. And she's been hanging out with that someone much more than she did with me. Granted, the only time we hung out was during the dodgeball challenge, and when I told her my feelings she didn't return them because she told me she like someone else."

"Uh, you do realize that you've repeated the same thing again right?"

He ignored me however and continued, "And judging by the way she acts around you, and how she stuffs your head into her chest at times, I say that she's into you."

"Yeah… I kind of knew that for a while now."

"So I see. Now don't get me wrong, I would never go and beat someone up. I'm not like that. But if you ever break her heart in any way possible, I'll snap your neck. Got it!?"

"Uh, r-right. I got it." I said nervously.

"You better."

"All Killer Bass members come to the bonfire area. Time to see who's going home tonight!" Chris announced through the loudspeaker.

Tyler sighed, "I gotta go. I don't know if I'll be safe tonight, but in case I do leave, remember my words so you don't get nightmares. She's special and fragile, and I don't like seeing her sad. Got it!?"

"I get it Tyler, I get it," I reassured him, still nervous.

"Good. Anyway see ya," and thus he was gone.

Huh, I thought Tyler would be mad at me that Lindsay's into me. Granted, he's jealous, but he handled himself quite well during that chat.

He even told me that he'll hurt me if I ever break Lindsay's heart. In case I ever do date her.

Something tells me that I'll be getting my answer sooner than later.

But for now, I need to go to bed.

* * *

 **[1] What was Noah's fear in Total Drama Underdogs? I consider it the best fear for Noah.**

 **Now for some more updates. I don't want to start writing the next chapter of TD CR right away. I want to return to writing The Canadian at Ever After High. It's been about three weeks since my last update on that story, and I wish to continue the sequel of Randompandattack's original story. I highly reccomend checking that story out. It'll be worth it.**

 **I'm _NOT_ gonna give up on this story. I want to see it through to the bitter end. But for now I need to focus my attention somewhere else.**

 **See ya next time.**


	16. Chapter 15 - Some Developments

**I want to give a shoutout to my man Rufus T. Serenity for Favouriting, Following, and for Reviewing this story. It means a whole lot to have on of my favourite TD fanfiction writers to notice me and praise my work. You and PurpleBandit3000 were my biggest inspiration to start writing my own TD stories. So thank you.**

 **Anyway, time for Chapter 15 baby!**

* * *

My clock read nine o'clock as I got up. Thankfully, I didn't have any nightmares last night.

I might've gotten a nightmare if I actually faced one of my fears. Sierra; Alejandro; having to disable a bomb; it's a smart move on my part to lie about my fear.

That's another thing, for I knew to not say my fear because I would have to face it, like last time.

It's probably best if I don't tell anyone that I lied about my fear. Otherwise, I would get everyone upset, especially Heather.

So I got out of bed, walked over to the washroom, brushed my teeth, took a bath and wore new clothes. They were the same clothes from last week, only they were washed. It's a good thing this camp has a laundry area, otherwise, we'd be stinking so much.

By the way, the hole in the bathroom from the ninja yesterday hasn't been fixed yet.

The rest of the campers were slowly getting up by the time I was done.

Today was a non-challenge day, but I'm not sure what to do. My DS is being charged; I saw Trent moping for some reason; Noah's still asleep; maybe I can chat with one of the blondes today. Bridgette could be a good choice. I just hope that I don't run into Courtney to hang out with her.

Speaking of Bridgette, when I encouraged her yesterday, she was looking hesitant to even look at me. Did I do something to her? I hope I didn't because it would suck if I did.

Thinking of Bridgette is making me think of the Killer Bass as a whole. I took the opportunity to see which Killer Bass isn't present.

I got my chance when I headed into the Mess Hall for breakfast (if you could even call it breakfast). I spotted Bridgette, Geoff, DJ, Sadie, Harold, Duncan, and Courtney. Tyler wasn't there. I guess he was voted out last night.

Now how did the vote go last night? That's my next question. Usually, Noah does this for some odd reason, but I can take a snag on this.

Courtney obviously voted for Tyler; DJ must've voted either Tyler or Courtney. Then again, Courtney encouraged DJ to do his fear, so it must've been Tyler. But why did Courtney encouraged DJ anyway? That was so unlike her.

Moving on. Bridgette must've voted out Tyler; she must still see something in her so-called friend I guess. Harold must've voted out Tyler because he got the most votes. Duncan either voted Tyler or Harold; Tyler because of his lame fear, or Harold because he's a nerd. I don't know what to say about Geoff's vote.

This leaves Tyler and Sadie. Tyler would most likely not vote himself off, so his vote must've been Courtney. Sadie's vote is either Courtney or Tyler; Courtney because she must scare her, or Tyler because of his 'lame' fear.

Just then, Noah came into the Mess Hall. He sat down next to me.

"Morning Noah," I said, "How're you doing?"

"Well other then the fact that I lost some of my precious blood, I'm rather fine," Noah said.

"Well, at least you have the entire day to have it heal. It's a non-challenge day after all," I reminded him.

"Thank god for that."

"I'm glad you're here by the way. I was just thinking about how the voting went last night."

Noah raised an eyebrow, "You were?"

"Thought I could take a snag at this sort of thing. I haven't come to a conclusion yet though."

I then told him what I have come up with so far. Noah then began to think on what I just told him.

"I just couldn't figure out the Duncan's, Geoff's and Sadie's vote though," I added.

"And you didn't ask any of them?" Noah asked.

"Nope."

Noah was quiet for about thirty seconds before he gave me an answer, "I think this is how it went."

According to Noah, this was how it went:

Bridgette - Tyler (She sees something in Courtney still)

Courtney - Tyler (He didn't complete his challenge)

DJ - Tyler (Courtney actually encouraged him)

Duncan - Harold (He picks on him a lot because he's a nerd)

Geoff - Courtney? (Still unsure)

Harold - Tyler (Tyler got the most votes)

Sadie - Courtney (She scares her)

Tyler - Courtney (Could've won for them; isn't dumb to vote himself off).

Total: Tyler (4); Courtney (3); Harold (1)

Eliminated: Tyler.

The voting from last challenge must've been the same like last time. I was hoping Courtney would be eliminated after this challenge. Just to prove my point that her behaviour and ideology on friendship isn't looked upon here. Well, looked upon by Chris and Heather. Maybe even Duncan.

Poor Tyler. He must've been pretty sad when he got the boot. He really wanted to become Lindsay's new boyfriend but wasn't able to get her to like him. I have beaten him to the punch.

Tyler's probably one of the fewest jocks out there that is actually kind and never bully's on the weak. He has my respect.

"So Tyler would've still left if Geoff voted for him," Noah explained.

"I'm still a little surprised that DJ didn't vote for Courtney. No offence to the big guy, but he's gets scared a lot," I said.

"Probably wants to repay Courtney by not voting for her last night."

"I guess. But why did Courtney even encouraged DJ to do his dare anyway? In fact, she was talking a lot nicer than in the last few days."

"She's probably recognizing her flaws finally," Noah suggested.

"Yeah right. If she is then she'd just confess her flaws out loud then with honesty," I pointed out.

Noah then stood up suddenly, "Confess? I knew I forgot to do something. Gotta go," And then Noah left.

What was that all about? Why was Noah in a hurry? He said something about confessing. Must've gone to the confession cam to do that.

Great, I was already having a good conversation with Noah. Now, what am I supposed to do?

I actually thought Courtney would leave yesterday. Still, though, things have been a lot different this time around.

For one I wasn't following Gwen around like last time, trying to become her boyfriend. I held back and made some actual friends for real this time. I even shouted at Gwen for accusing me of stealing her diary and for trying to get all the girls for myself. The latter of the two being totally untrue.

Then there were the eliminations. Justin and Owen were eliminated. The former of the which is because I got Noah to contribute actually. Owen however, he didn't do anything to warrant his elimination. All he was doing was spreading joy and excitement in his team and being happy, and farting a lot.

If any, I was the one who was supposed to leave after the Talent Contest, not Owen. The majority still believed that I gave off a stellar performance and never deserved elimination.

Finally, there was my relationship with girls. Particularly, two blondes that caught my attention. Lindsay and Bridgette.

I don't know how I did it, but somehow I wooed two of the hottest girls on the island to liking me. A geek. Unintentionally. I wonder how the more popular and muscular guys here will react. Tyler wasn't cruel to me but said that he'll give me a beating if I ever break Lindsay's heart. And Geoff, what will Geoff say to me if I end up with Bridgette?

How will this game turnout now that I made these changes?

I glanced around the Mess Hall and saw Trent eating his food. He was looking pretty gloomy. Was he still sad about the fake info that Gwen _didn't_ write in her diary?

This might be a good opportunity for me to set things straight. I was the one who hooked those two up in the first place. I'm gonna do it again!

I stood up and walked over to Trent, "Hey Trent, how's it going?" I asked.

"Been going fine," Trent replied, "What about you?"

"I think it's time to get things straight with Gwen."

Trent made a face, "Excuse me?"

"You've been moping around ever since that incident with the diary, and I'm getting quite sick of it. So I want to hear your reason."

"Are you serious? I've already told you-"

I interrupted him, "No excuses, we're setting things straight whether you like it or not," I said sternly.

Trent sighed, "Alright, fine."

More campers began to show up.

"We should talk in private," I suggested.

Trent agreed and we headed for our cabin. Trent tried to make a getaway but I stopped him. We entered the cabin.

"Alright Trent, let me hear what you gotta say about Gwen," I said.

"Gwen and I. We used to be pretty close, man. I loved her with all my heart. And I thought she felt the same way about me. Until someone revealed that it wasn't true. You know, as much as I'm not a fan of him, I gotta thank Chris," he still thinks Chris did it? "He revealed Gwen doesn't have a thing for me, and it kept me from wasting my time in chasing after something that's completely delusional. You think you know a person. I would have been acting like some idiot, but thanks to you, I know how she _really_ feels. She keeps wanting to talk to me and apologize, but I just ignore her. I shouldn't get mad at her. It's not as if she is required to like me. Just wish she did," Trent sulked.

I honestly couldn't believe he would say all of that. I was silent for a moment and took a deep breath. Then, I did something completely unimaginable.

I slapped him across the face.

"OW! What was that for?" Trent looked at me now cross.

"I'm gonna say that same exact thing that you said to me a few days ago… DUDE! Where did that idea come from!? Gwen _does_ like you! She likes _you,_ Trent. You two were gravitated towards each other ever since the start of this show. She was never afraid of being around you and was doing it willingly. She trusts you, Trent, and no one else. Well, okay she may trust Leshawna, but I can tell she trust you the most than anyone else here on this island," I said all of that.

"Okay, but if she doesn't like me, then who?" Trent asked.

"Did you even process anything that I just said to you?" I groaned.

Just then the door knocked. We glanced at the door then at each other, curiously.

We opened the door and saw that it was Duncan.

I kept my guard up.

"Hey, Duncan, anything you like from us?" I greeted.

"Stop being formal and follow me," The punk answered.

"What do you need Cody for?" Trent asked.

"None of your business Elvis," he said and grabbed me forcefully.

He took me to behind the Bass Cabin. Lucky for him, no one was there to witness us.

He let go of my arm and tossed me to the ground. I got up, dusting myself off.

"You do realize you didn't have to drag me like I'm some type of object," I groaned in frustration.

"Cut the crap tech geek, now tell me what dirt you have," Duncan demanded.

"Dirt?" I asked, now confused instead of frustrated, "What dirt?

"Don't play dumb with me, I'm talking about the dirt you have on those two blondes of yours," Duncan said.

On Bridgette and Lindsay? He thinks I'm blackmailing them into liking and being around me? "I don't have any dirt on them. Why would I blackmail them in the first place?"

"Because there's no way some of the sexiest girls here would hang out with someone like you. There has to be some dirt you have on them."

I felt my eyes harden into glaring light blue orbs as my eyebrows lowered, "I'm sorry to disappoint you but I don't have any dirt on either girl. I don't use blackmail; unlike some other people I know who are here."

"I highly doubt it. You're actually smart, and you look like an average geek who would try anything to be with a girl."

"Maybe at one point in life, but that me is long gone by now. And besides, weren't you there that day when Gwen accused me of stealing and writing in her diary? That according to her I was trying to get all the girls for myself? And then I lashed out at her?" In fact, I remember saying, and I quote, _"Do you honestly think on gods named Earth that I want to woo some girls? That I'm like some hot sexy latino jerk who uses his oh-so manly charms and hot body to gain advantage over her? You seriously think that I would break a girls heart so I could get that girl into liking me? I don't have any sort of plan like that. None."_ end quote," Holy crap, I actually memorized everything I just said.

"I'm seriously starting to wonder how you even remembered all of that," he grumbled, arms crossed.

It was then I realized something, "Oh, I get it. You, Duncan, are jealous," I smirked in his face

"I am not jealous," he denied.

"Denial is a common thing with every jealous teenager. They never show it on the outside, but on the inside, they're so jealous to the point where they want to beat up that kid just to get all of that jealousy out of their system. Like you, Duncan," I finished.

I really shouldn't have said that. Because the next thing I knew, I was hoisted off the ground and was slammed into the cabin wall.

"Like what I'm about to do right now?!" Duncan growled.

I was scared for a second before I found regained composure again. A little bit.

"Are you really gonna kill me? Remember what I said the first day? They say you can get away with murder on TV, but that's a figure of speech."

"I've ruled over juvie while there, I can do so when I come back," Duncan said.

"But what if you were taken to a _big boy_ prison then? For killing someone that's younger than you? Would you handle a real adult prison?" I said.

I wasn't showing it, but I was actually pretty scared right now. Whatever Duncan might do to me, it's gonna be a hell of a lot worse then what that bear did to me the first time around.

However, nothing happened, Duncan merely sighed, rolled his eyes, and dropped me down.

"Alright, _geek_. If you consider yourself worthy of having some girls like those two, prove it," Duncan said.

I got up and dusted myself off again, "How?" I groaned.

"Steal one of their bras."

I almost went stiff, "Huh?"

"Steal one of their bras, and I'll forget we ever had this discussion, clear?"

"Why would I steal one of their bras?" I asked, "I'm not gonna risk getting caught like last time."

"Last time?"

"Forget it. The point is I'm not gonna do something I'm sure will ruin my friendships with Bridgette and Lindsay. I'm not even working myself into dating one or both of them. Or even having a threesome with them."

"How come? Any boy like you would surely be dying to sleep with them," he then grinned, "And I don't blame you, after all, they both have a body that puts an average street hooker to shame."

" _No wonder you don't have a girlfriend yet,"_ I thought.

"And I don't blame Geoff for liking one of them. I gotta agree, Bridgette does look good to look at," he added.

It was becoming more and more difficult keeping myself from shouting at Duncan saying they aren't objects for a man's pleasure and that they have a soul as well. But I held back on my words.

"And I don't blame Geoff for liking Bridgette, either. But if she doesn't like him back then he has to move on. Whoever she or Lindsay likes isn't of anyone's business but themselves. I'm sorry if they both like me, but you can't do anything about it. It's what it is."

"Then prove it to me that you're not some sulking loser and steal one of their bras," Duncan demanded.

I really want to have this conversation end already. It's starting to become annoying, "What's in it for me then?"

"I'll give you twenty bucks, is that enough?"

"Fine," we then shook on it, "But stay out of this once I got your bra."

"Relax twerp, you can keep the bra. I just want you to show it to me."

"Whatever," I turned around quickly and stalked away from the delinquent.

* * *

 **Confessional - Duncan**

"I already have a good feeling he's going to fail," Duncan said, "Even Barbie isn't dumb enough to give up her underwear to someone she just met."

 **Confessional - Cody**

"This is exactly what I was talking about! If any hot girl were to fall for a geek like me, then a tough dude comes into frame and puts an end to it," I explained, "But whatever, I'm not going to ask for neither Bridgette's or Lindsay's bra. I'll be breaking two bones with one stone," I replied with a smug.

* * *

I walked back inside the Gopher cabin to find Trent still there. He must've been waiting for me this entire time.

"What happened?" Trent asked, "I thought he'd pulverize you or something."

"Don't worry about it Trent, nothing happened. He just wanted to talk," I said.

"What did he wanted to talk to you about?"

"Nothing important, that's for sure," I lied, "Anyways, where were we?"

I paused for a little while, "Now I remember. Trent, you don't have to accept that Gwen doesn't like you, because she does. I can tell. I saw on her face that she was upset that you wouldn't like her back after the diary incident. If it weren't for that diary, you'd be dating her right now, I'm sure of."

"Okay, so say Gwen does like me miraculously, how do we fix this?"

"Relax Trent, I have a plan to get you two together," I assured him.

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. Once I put my plan into action, it'll be like this whole incident never even happened," I smirked.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Trent said.

"Stop worrying, Trent, and let the Codemeister do all the work."

It looks like the Codemeister is returning to the stage tomorrow.

* * *

 **No end notes this time I guess, except that this chapter wasn't delayed as long as two months. That would've sucked. But my birthday is coming up so that's a plus. Let's see if I can post the next chapter when my birthday comes.**


	17. Chapter 16 - Teenage Romance on a Boat

**Hey guys! Do you know what today is?** **It's... one day past my 18th Birthday! Happy 18th and a day Birthday to me!...**

 **...Yeah I was planning on posting this chapter on my actual birthday (which was yesterday on April 14), but I had some other homework to do, I need to help my mother prepare for my huge birthday party, the party distracted me, and yeah. I'm gonna make it up to mself by posting this chapter for all of you to read.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

I'm all set and ready for action!

Okay, I don't think there'll be much action today; why do I want to face action anyway? Action is a dangerous thing here on Total Drama.

But I'm getting off topic here. Today's a challenge day, and if memory serves me, today's the day we head for Boney Island.

The day where I hook Gwen up with Trent just like last time. And I'm gonna do it again.

I grabbed a chocolate bar for today (because I love chocolate) and joined with the other campers over at the lake where Chris was waiting at. He had a diagram next to him.

"Bass, Gophers… today's challenge is a true summer camp experience…. a canoe trip."

He motioned to the beach that was behind him. On the beach were eight canoes. Four reds, and four greens.

"You'll be paddling your canoes across the lake to Boney Island," he tried to make his voice sound ominous, "When you get there, you must portage your canoes to the other side of the island which, is about a two-hour hike through a treacherous, dense jungle."

"We've gotta por-what?" Geoff asked confused.

"Portage," Chris repeated. Geoff was still confused though, "Dude, walk with your canoe."

"Oh."

Chris continued, "When you arrive at the other end of the island, you'll build a rescue fire that will be judged by me. The first team to paddle home and return their canoes to the beach is the winner of invincibility. Move campers, move!"

We began to jog down to the canoes as fast as we could jog.

"Wait! One more thing!" We stopped jogging to listen to Chris, "Legend has it, that if you take anything off the island, you'll be cursed forever!"

Some of us gasped at that info.

"Alright! Cursed island!" Izzy exclaimed.

It was followed by an awkward silence.

"Now, get to your canoes and let's have some fun."

Chris's ideology of fun is completely different from ours.

I didn't head straight for the canoes though. In order to have Gwen and Trent hook up like last time, I needed them to be separate for the first part of the trip.

I went up to Lindsay instead.

"Lindsay!" I called her. She glanced at me and smile.

"Cody!" she beamed, "Are we gonna go kadoo riding together?"

Ignoring the fact that she misspoke _canoe,_ I said, "That's the thing Linds'. I need you to be with Trent for this one."

Lindsay became confused, "Why? I want to ride with you."

"I know, but I need you to do this for me. It's the only way I could hook Gwen and Trent together," I explained.

Lindsay beamed again, surprised and happy, "You're setting Gwen and Trevor together? Aww, that's so sweet of you," she cooed.

"Thanks, but this first part is required for this hook up to happen. Can you do it for me, please?"

"Okay, Cody," Lindsay became confused again, "Which one is Terrence?"

" _Trent_ is that teen over there," I pointed at Trent, who was putting on his life jacket. Lindsay ran up to Trent, leaving me alone again.

Once we got our life jackets on, we went to the beach.

I have to get into the same canoe with Gwen like last time. We've been avoiding each other ever since I lashed out at her the other day; it's gonna be difficult to get her to canoe with me.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Since the day I lashed at her, things haven't been so clean between me and Gwen," I explained in the confessional, "I mean, she did provoke me to lash at her. Not to mention how she judges me based on my looks," I paused for a moment as I thought back on that day, "But that's in the past, this is now. Things are gonna be different between me and her from here on out… I hope."

* * *

I saw Gwen glancing at Trent, who glanced back and gave her a smile. I came into the frame just in time before anything happened.

"GWEN!" I yelled, causing her to look at me, "Listen Gwen, I know we got off on the wrong foot the other day, but I say that we should move on from that day and just partner up for once in our life."

I spoke with as much formality as I could, but Gwen wasn't buying it. Because the next thing I knew, Gwen retaliated by twisting my left arm.

"OWOW! What the fuck?! Stop it!" I shouted again.

It almost looks as if I was gonna have another fight with her. But then she saw Lindsay going in the canoe with Trent. Seeing this, Gwen reluctantly let go of my arm. She was both frustrated and disappointed.

"Fine, but I'm in charge," she said, as she walked into her canoe.

"Fine by me," I replied as I follow.

* * *

 **Confessional - Gwen**

"Look, I know I was being harsh on Cody and I shouldn't have acted like that. But ever since that day when he lashed out at me for accusing him for stealing my diary, and how he ranted about how horrible his life was, and his motives for this contest, I honestly have no idea of what to think of Cody at this point. That's what annoys me the most about him. He's just some sort of an enigma. One minute he's acting happy and kind like any other perverted geek would, but then he acts all sad, angry, and depressed."

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Well that could've gone a lot better, but at least I got Gwen. Now time for my next move."

* * *

Once everyone was in their respective canoes, we lined them up to begin the trip.

"Chris, why are you holding a gun? Isn't this a kid's show?" Leshawna asked him.

Of course, he ignored her, "On your marks, get set, paddle!" He fired the gun into the air, killing a bird.

"That's gonna provoke some angry letters," Chris said. I love to see his reaction to all the hate mail he'll get.

Anyways, we're off!

* * *

We've been rowing for about twenty minutes now, and things were pretty awkward between me and Gwen. Neither of us had spoken a word since we began our trip. If I'm going to give word out to Gwen, then I need to speak asap.

"So… how's life?" I spoke first.

Gwen didn't reply. She just continued to row.

"It's a… nice weather today… don't you agree?"

Still silence.

"What do you think this islands going to be like?"

Even more silence. This was seriously starting to get annoying.

"Okay, look, are you going to talk with me back to past the time, or are you just going to continue giving me the silent treatment?"

Still no words from Gwen.

"I'm just trying to-"

I didn't get to finish because I was hit in the balls with her paddle.

"GAAH!" I screamed in pain again, "Again with the pain! What's with you hurting me today?!" I glared at Gwen.

"If you want to keep your body intact, then you will shut up," she glared back.

"Shut up about what?" I said back, "I didn't say anything to you to you to make you wary of me. All I was trying to do was to have a friendly conversation with you."

"Has it ever crossed your mind that I don't want to have a conversation with you or anyone else?"

"That ironic. Your good friends with Leshawna and have good chats with her. And don't deny me that you're still sad over what happened between you and Trent."

She didn't say anything after that.

"Look, if you're still traumatized from that lashing I gave you, then I'm sorry for it. I never enjoyed lashing at you in the first place," I said.

"No, you lashing at me doesn't have anything to do with it."

"With what?"

"With-... Look, it's complicated, alright? I don't feel like talking about it."

Well, this isn't going the way I planned. It almost reminds me of the first time. Only this time I'm _not_ trying to get her to date me. But she's still annoyed by my presence.

I think now's the time to make my move with this hookup.

"You know, Gwen, I know that you have feelings for Trent," I said.

She glanced sharply at me.

"You know?" she said. She seemed alarmed by my statement as if I discovered a dark secret she's been keeping.

"No need to feel uneasy about it," I reassured her, "It's kind of common knowledge that you have a thing for Trent, and I know that he's still into you too."

Gwen didn't look tense as before, but she still kept her guard up, "How would you know?"

"Because I talk with him as well. Trent and I are pretty good friends now. In fact, I can say that he's one of my best friends on this island, as well as Noah. He thinks about you, and is sad that he thinks that you're annoyed by him."

Gwen went silent again. Luckily it wasn't a deadly-glaring silence this time. She must be trying to process what I just told her.

I continued, "I know we don't see eye to eye, but I can tell that you're a kind person at heart. I'd be more than willing to help you hook up with Trent. I'll be able to put in a good work for you if you like."

"Really? Even after the way I treated you? How I accused you and hurt you?" she wondered, a little bit surprised.

"Well… I'm still pretty angry at you for accusing me about stealing your diary, accusing me of trying to get all the girls for myself, and I'm for inflicting unnecessary pain on me for really no damn good reason," I said bluntly, making Gwen recoil slightly, "But hey, I'm usually a knack when it comes to apologise. We all make mistakes sometimes, so I'm sure I can put it behind us."

Gwen, however, didn't look too sure about my offer. She must be skeptic about it.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. It's all free of charge. You don't have to offer me back anything," I said.

Last time I did this, Gwen gave me one of her bras. I'm not trying to get her bra again this time.

"Thanks… If you do this for me, then I'll be grateful to you," she said.

"No worries, I'll take care of it."

After a while of rowing, a thick fog began to surround us.

"Where did this fog come from?" I asked.

"No clue," Gwen replied.

Once the fog thinned out, we saw where we are. We have arrived on Boney Island.

We docked our canoes at the beach.

"So where's King Kong?" I heard Noah jokes. I agree. It looks like we've arrived on Skull Island.

"King Kong? Isn't he the ruler of Korea or something?" Lindsay asked.

I stifled a giggle.

"Okay, did you see that skull? How cool is that? It's like this place is haunted or something," Izzy said.

"H-h-haunted?" DJ stammered. We heard a loud howl.

"Let's just get this over with, Gwen said. She and I portaged our canoe together.

The rest of the Gophers followed. The Bass went another way. The canoe was pretty heavy, but nothing to serious to handle.

As we continued on, we saw some skulls on sticks. This was becoming creepy.

"Hey crazy girl, it's just like your neighbourhood," Heather said.

"Nah. Mine has more skulls. And blood," Izzy replied with no hesitation.

"Lindsay, are we following the map right?" Trent asked her. Apparently, they had the map.

Just then, a large tree fell in front of us. We saw some dark yellow beady eyes from the trees. The bush also began to rustle.

"What's that?" Beth whimpered.

Just then, something popped out of the bush. A large hairy animal with tusks on him. Several more followed and began to make their way towards us.

"Monster Beavers!" I cried in fear, "Run for it!"

We turned around an hightailed out of here.

* * *

 **Confessional - Chris**

"A remnant of the Pleistocene era," Chris began, "the Woolly Beaver is a day-active rodent, indigenous to Boney Island. Oh yeah, and they're _meat-eaters_!" He finished his confession with a wink.

* * *

"Aren't beavers suppose to be vegetarians?!" Beth asked.

"I'm not gonna stick around to find out!" Trent replied.

These types of animals weren't supposed to be alive. How was Chris able to resurrect them? Unless there's some type of technology or chemistry that the government is hiding from us.

We ran through the forest and the beavers were running right behind us.

"How are they so fast?" Heather asked.

But then, we had reached a dead end. In front of us was a big wall of rock.

"Hey, they're leaving," Trent said. He was right.

The Beavers started leaving probably because we were standing in a puddle of water.

How can they not swim? Aren't they beavers? Better not to question.

"Hey look at that," Heather said, "Mr. Geek man peed himself again."

I looked at my jeans to see that she was right. Are you fucking kidding me?!

"Will you shut it! We almost got eaten alive, and all you care about is my misfortune?!" I yelled back.

Bad idea for me to yell, though.

We were under a Pterodactyl nest. The birds emerged with their long beaks and sharp teeth.

"Damn nature, that there's scary!" You're telling me Leshawna.

"G.T.F. out of here!" I yelled. Once again, we ran away screaming.

"Someone do something!" Gwen said.

Wait a minute, the chocolate bar for later! I was saving it for myself but this is more important!

I pulled the bar out of my pocket and tossed it at the Pterodactyls. I hope they like chocolate.

For some odd and great reason, they did.

"It worked!" Gwen yelled. The Killer Bass members ran in front of us portaging their red canoes over them.

"Come on, they race isn't over yet," Izzy said. "We still have to burn stuff."

We ran for a while longer.

"I can see the other team," Trent called out.

"They're taking the path on the right," Said Gwen.

"Then let's go left," Trent said. I don't understand how that works, but I'm not the leader here.

We went left and continued to run. Though, it doesn't look like we're making progress.

"Are we on the right track?" Gwen asked.

"Of course," Lindsay said, "That's why we took the path on the _right._ "

"Lindsay, check the map," Heather ordered.

"Okay," Lindsay said, but she was fumbling around to see where the map was.

"Well?"

"I think I misplaced it."

Oh shit, Lindsay.

"You lost the map? _Now,_ what are we gonna do?" Gwen shouted.

"It should be here somewhere."

"Everyone, just calm down," Said Trent. He took a rock and marked an 'X' on a nearby tree with it.

"There. Now if we see this X again, we know we've been going the wrong way."

A landmark, eh? Nice idea Trent.

We continued on forward for some time. We heard sounds of chirping insects and cawing of birds from the trees. This jungle really is thick.

"GAH!" Trent stopped, "Guys! I don't know why, but I'm shrinking!" he yelled in fright.

"You're in quicksand!" Gwen yelled. We were all panicking now.

* * *

 **Confessional - Trent**

"How was I supposed to know that was quicksand? It looked just like regular sand!" Trent complained.

 **Confessional - Noah**

"I wouldn't be surprised that Chris put that quicksand there for his own amusement," Noah said blatantly.

 **Confessional - Chris**

"Hahaha! I put the quicksand there. I didn't think anyone would fall for it. But man, am I glad they did. Great stuff," Chris laughed.

* * *

"Don't worry Trent! I'll save you!" Lindsay said.

"LINDSAY, NO!" I called her.

But it was too late. Lindsay jumped in.

"I'm stuck too! I so didn't see this coming!" Lindsay panicked.

"Someone help us!" Trent yelled.

Oh boy, what do I do? What do I do? Lindsay and Trent are gonna be submerged pretty soon. I have to do something.

Wait, I got it!

"I got an idea!" I yelled.

I dropped the canoe that I was holding with Gwen and ran to the nearest tree. I saw a vine on top of the tree and climb up to grab it. Once I was up I grabbed hold of it.

"Trent, stick your hand out! I'm gonna save you two!" I yelled.

Trent did as he was told. Once ready, I jumped off the branch and swung down to the two. I held the vine with my right, and held out my left hand, ready to grab Trent's hand.

But I missed. The next thing I knew, I slammed into a tree. I felt the vine slip from my hand. I stumbled back from the tree feeling dazed. I was seeing doubles of everything.

I shook my head getting my bearings back, then glanced back to see Trent and Lindsay out. They must've got hold of the vine.

"Thanks man, you're a lifesaver! Where did you learn to do that?" Trent came up to me to thank me.

"I watch a lot of adventure films, you know, like Indiana Jones," I said, slightly embarrassed.

All of a sudden, I was pulled into a tight hug by Lindsay, right into her massive chest!

"My hero!" I heard her say. She then leaned down and gave me a big sloppy kiss on my forehead. I blushed heavily from the kiss, "Thank you."

"N-No p-problem," I stuttered, getting my face out of her chest.

"Guys!" Gwen stepped into the frame, "As much as I'm enjoying this touchy moment, we still got a challenge to win!" I hate to admit it but she was right.

I got out of Lindsay's hold and went back to pick up my canoe. We continued trekking our way through the dense jungle.

Everything looks the same. It's hard to find our way out of a jungle when everything in the jungle looks completely the same.

After who knows how long of burning away some fat and muscle aches, we managed to reach our location. The other side of the island.

Bad news, the Killer Bass got out first.

I learned that Geoff suffered a 'massive' leg injury that slowed them down. I knew from the reruns that it was just a splinter.

"We got to set up a fire now," Heather said.

We began looking for wood to build our fire.

You know, since the beginning of this challenge, I felt like that I'm forgetting something. It has to do with one of our teammates. I glanced to see whatever it was would spark my memory. Heather was at the backpacks, and Noah's there; Lindsay, Trent, Leshawna, and Gwen were finding some wood; Beth was as well.

BETH! I knew I forgot something! I ran up to Beth.

"Beth, I need to know. Have you taken anything off the ground that's indigenous to this island?" I asked her.

"No?" Beth replied in confusion, "Why?"

"Chris said back at the start of the challenge that we'll become cursed if we pick up anything off the island and bring it back with us, we'll become cursed," I explained.

"He said that?" Beth asked, now looking frightened.

"Yeah. I don't know if he's lying or not, but just in case, do _not_ pick anything off this island. Even if it's something small like an omen statue thingy, leave it be."

"Okay, Cody. Thanks for telling me," Beth said. She went back to picking up wood.

I'm so glad to have told her that. Now that she's aware, maybe she'll go further in this game.

Now's time for the next order of business: Trent.

I walked up to Trent who was picking up some more wood.

"Hey, Trent, got a minute?" I asked.

"Sure," he paused what he was doing, "What is it?"

"I can officially confirm to you that Gwen totally digs you," I smiled.

Like last time, Trent changed his tone to serious.

"You better not be lying to me man. I don't want to chase after a delusion," he snarled.

"I'm not lying dude. When I told Gwen that I'd hook her up with you she was glad. Why would I lie to my friends?"

Trent calmed down, knowing that I was right.

"Alright, so what should I do now?"

"Switch boats with me. Go with Gwen and you'll be alone with her. Just the two of you. Then, you two will hook up by the end."

"You sure?"

"One hundred percent."

Trent grinned, "Thanks man," he and I fist bumped and we went back to work.

After much hard work and wood searching, we had our fire grew to a reasonable size. The only problem was the Bass' fire was larger.

"How did they do that so quickly?" Heather asked.

Duncan showed us his lighter.

"No rule against carrying lighters," Chris called out from his helicopter, "Edge, Killer Bass."

"That's so unfair!" Leshawna yelled.

"My game, my rules," Chris said and he left.

I bumped into Noah while gathering some more wood

"How are you handling things?" I asked my friend.

"The work's excruciating, but fine I suppose," he said, "What about you?"

"Not bad. I got to talk with Trent about Gwen. I have a feeling that those two will hook up by tonight. Besides, I saw you earlier with Heather. Why were you talking with her?"

"I wasn't, I saw her rummaging through one of our bags. She said that she was looking for Lindsay's map, but she didn't sound convincing."

"Huh," sounded interesting, "Maybe we should keep an eye on Heather for a little bit?"

"Seems like it."

That'll have to wait though. We gotta challenge to win.

I glanced back at the Bass just to see one of them make the most stupid moves yet. Harold grabbed his team's paddles and threw them into the fire.

All the Bass mouths went wide open.

"How are we supposed to get home now?!" Bridgette yelled at him.

Sweet, we have an advantage now.

"This ought to do the trick," Izzy said, who just showed up. She was holding a big ball of whatever it was, "It's a handmade firestarter I made from tree sap and saved. Stand back, cause this is gonna be big."

Oh shit, I know what's gonna happen! I stepped back at a safe distance away from the explosion zone. Some of my teammates followed.

Izzy then tossed the ball into our fire and-

 _ **KABOOM!**_

There was a huge ball of fire. Our fire was standing very high up now.

Chris had to swerve his chopper out of the way.

"We have our fire-building winner! Point for the Gophers!" I didn't know why this segment of the challenge really mattered. The next part was the most important.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Heather asked her.

"Oh, you know I spent a summer training with the Reserves. Yeah, I got into some trouble there and like blew up the kitchen by accident, which is why the RCMP is like still all over my butt. I am so totally AWOL."

Uhh, that's way too much information there Izzy.

We made our way back to our canoes. It's time for my last part of my plan.

"Guys, since you're both a bit shaken by the whole quicksand thing, we should split you up. How about I go with Lindsay and… Gwen can paddle back with Trent?" I gestured with my hands to each person signifying my offer.

"Sounds cool," Trent said.

I walked over to Lindsay who was beaming with happiness.

"EEEEE! This is sooo great! We get to go cazooing together!" Lindsay beamed.

"Canoeing Lindsay," I corrected.

The Bass were having their own problems. They now had no paddles thanks to Harold.

"You guys could get someone to swim behind the boats and push them," Izzy suggested.

"I did that once with this huge like 60-foot yacht. The whole crew had to flutter kick for like eight days to get to shore. And like four of them got eaten by sharks, I didn't, not me. But it was really insane. Okay, later."

Uh, Izzy, you shouldn't have said that.

The Gopher's and I glared at her.

We started to paddle back to camp. This time with extra force.

"Paddle quickly!" I heard Noah yell. I didn't think he'd paddle with extra strength.

DJ was coming up fast with the rest of the Bass riding on stacked canoes and cheering him on. We paddled as fast as we could but the big man was just too strong.

The Bass zoomed past us and rammed into the shore at full speed, flying into the air and landing with a crash.

"The Bass are the winners!" Chris exclaimed as we slowly paddled back to shore.

Darn. We had lost the challenge.

And I blame Izzy for our loss.

"You cost us the game!" Leshawna said to her, "You are dead."

"Right," Izzy replied, "Okay, you are _so_ lucky that my license to kill is currently expired.

Leshawna grabbed a paddle and started chasing Izzy around with it.

"Meeting at the Mess Hall in fifteen," Heather said. And we went our own way.

* * *

I remained in the cabin to rest after the challenge. There was no thinking about it; Izzy was the reason why we lost. I know we made some mistakes, but Izzy's suggestion to the Bass was the biggest wrong move for our team today.

She's my vote. I know it'll upset Noah, but she's my final vote. Besides, she's just going to return back to the game eventually. Just like last time.

Once the fifteen minutes were up, I went to the Mess Hall for our meeting. Everyone else arrived eventually.

"Now that we're all here, we must decide who we need to vote," Heather began.

"Well I'll tell you who we should vote out," Leshawna voiced in, "Ms, Crazy Girl over there."

"Yeah, Izzy ruined our chances of winning," Gwen said.

"No question about it, Izzy's definitely," I said.

"Everyone else slowly began to agree to vote Izzy out. All but one bookworm.

"You guys can't vote her out," Noah stepped in to defend her.

"And how come, nerd?" Heather glared, "Would you really want her to still be here?"

"So Izzy made a mistake big deal; in case you forgotten, she contributed a whole lot to this challenge. If it wasn't for her, we would've still been on that island for who knows how long," Noah explained.

"And I also helped the Bass when in their weakest moment," Izzy said.

"Yeah, plus I helped the poor, weak Bass team too." Izzy said.

"Izzy, shush! She didn't mean to say it. Just give her another chance," Noah finished.

"Then who'd you choose to leave instead of crazy girl?" Leshawna asked.

"Simple, Lindsay."

"I'm sorry, Lindsay?!" I yelled in surprise.

My teammates glanced at me.

"Uh… because she's nice and is a good teammate?" I finished.

"And why do you want Lindsay gone?" Asked Heather.

"Well for one, she did lose the map, and she got stuck in the quicksand slowing us down," Noah said.

I don't believe it! He was trying to get Lindsay eliminated to keep Izzy safe? Why not someone else like Heather? No one likes Heather.

But Noah didn't stopped there. He continued, "We could have gotten to the shore a lot quicker if we had the gosh darn map. We could have built the fire quicker and left quicker. Maybe even before the Bass arrived."

"Now hold on a minute," I stepped in, "Trent got stuck in the quicksand first. Lindsay tried to save him. So if any, accident or not, it was Trent that slowed us down at that point," I finished explaining.

Trent sheepishly looked away.

"You actually bring up another point there Cody," Noah rebutted, "For all we know, Lindsay isn't the smartest person on this team, and almost always tunes out during the most important meetings. Like right now."

We looked at Lindsay to see that she was playing with her hair and not paying attention at all.

"Does my hair look twisted?" She asked innocently.

"Would you want to have her here and risk losing do to her low intellect? What if there's a brain based challenge in the future? Or what if the next challenge is brain based?"

"That is a fair point," Trent then spoke, "I mean, she didn't even know how to play dodgeball when the rules were in the game."

"And that's why I think Lindsay deserves the boot," Noah concluded.

I was hoping to hear some disagreements. But instead I began to hear some yes's.

"You know, I was about to vote for Izzy but Noah has a point. I think Lindsay should go," Gwen said.

"I'll take crazy over stupid any day," Leshawna said.

I stood up from my spot, "Oh nonononono… NO! Lindsay may not be the smartest, but she wasn't the one that caused our team to lose."

"Cody, I get that Izzy caused us the lose, but we have to agree with Noah on this one. Izzy's smarter than Lindsay. Would you want to risk losing another challenge because of her?" Trent said.

I don't believe it again! Trent's agreeing with Noah now?! Am I being betrayed by my own friends?!

"Fuck this! I'm out of this meeting!" I stormed out of the Mess Hall in anger.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I honestly can't believe it! Noah, my best friend here on the island, wants Lindsay gone instead of Izzy? Isn't he smart enough that it was all Izzy's fault that we lost this challenge? I can't believe that Noah would do something like that! Lindsay doesn't deserve to be eliminated! She deserves to stay here with me!" Wait a minute, did I just say that out loud to the whole world? "I want that tape back!" I said, shaking the camera and attempting to remove any evidence of this recording, "Give me the tape!" I yelled. "Ugh. How do you open this thing!?"

* * *

I gave up to get that tape and exited the confessional. To my surprise, I saw Lindsay standing outside.

"Oh, hey Lindsay. What're you doing here?" I asked.

"I was worried about you, Cody. You became so angry again. Did Noah say something mean to you?" Lindsay asked.

Oh, Lindsay. Sweet, beautiful, amazing, and very naive Lindsay. You'll never understand the dangers around here.

I sighed, "It's not you who should be worried for my sakes. I should be more worried about you."

"For me?" Lindsay replied confused.

"Lindsay, do you realize the danger zone that you're in?"

"Wait, I'm in a danger zone?! It's not a minefield is it?!"

"No Lindsay. I meant it metaphorically," Lindsay didn't get me, "I'm using a figure of speech. You're in danger of being voted off tonight."

"Wait, I am? How?"

"Don't you remember from our meeting not even from ten minutes ago? Noah was trying to get people to vote for you instead of Izzy."

"Really? Why?"

"Even though Noah's denying it, he's actually pretty close with Izzy. Just like how you and I are close. And I don't want to see you get eliminated, especially this early in the game. You deserve to stay longer."

"You really mean that?"

"Well, yeah. You're nice, innocent, and beautiful. It pains me to see that you'd leave for no good reason," I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

Lindsay didn't say anything for a moment. My blush intensified just from the silence.

"AWW! That's, like, so sweet of you!" Lindsay gushed, "Come here, Cody," And with that, I was pulled for the second time today into Lindsay's hug. Meaning my face was shoved deep into her breast. It lasted a lot longer than the previous one today; my hormones were starting to act up again.

I lifted my head out of her breast and said, "Uh, how long?"

Lindsay released me, confused, "How long what?"

"How long-"

" _Attention Screaming Gopher's, it's voting time now! Gather at the campfire tonight to see which of you is tonight's loser!"_ Chris spoke into his loudspeaker.

Goddammit! Interrupted at the worst possible time!

I release myself from Lindsay's hold and said, "Lindsay, if you do get voted off, I just want to let you know that you have been one of the greatest friends I ever had on this island."

Lindsay smiled a wide-smiled. However, she didn't say anything. Instead, she did something completely different and so unexpectedly that I honestly wasn't expecting at all. She reached behind her shirt and unhooked her red bra. She then pulled it out from under her shirt and handed it to me.

I froze like a statue as I held her bra in her hand. I was holding a bra of one of the hottest girls on this freakin' island.

"Just something to remember me by," she said. She leaned down and kissed me _again_ on my left cheek. She turned around and left for the campfire.

I didn't follow her though. I remained frozen looking at the large red bra in my hands.

I ran back into the confessional cab.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"...I got a bra," I said slowly, "I, a former ladies man wannabe and somewhat of a perv, got myself a freakin' bra! Without even trying!" I yelled as I held the bra up to the camera.

* * *

It was voting time now. The team and I were gathered around the fire, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The bra that Lindsay gave me was tucked underneath my shirt. I didn't have time to stop by my cabin to put it in my bag.

Chris then spoke, "And now, the always anxiety inducing… marshmallow ceremony. When I call your name, come get a marshmallow."

He began to call the names.

"Beth."

"Noah."

"Cody."

I went to grab my marshmallow.

"Trent."

"Gwen."

Those two are back on good terms.

"Heather."

"Leshawna."

Just as I suspected, Lindsay and Izzy are the only ones left. I began to shake. Did Lindsay get the most votes? Was Noah actually able to change everyone's mind?

"One marshmallow left," Chris said, "The person who doesn't get this marshmallow will walk off the Dock of Shame and take a ride on the Boat of Losers. Who's it gonna be?"

I looked at Lindsay, and she looked back at me. We both had that look in our eyes knowing we'll get separated. Lindsay doesn't want it, and I don't want it.

"The final marshmallow goes to…"

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...

…

…

…

…

…

...

…

…

…

…

…

"IZZY! WE KNOW YOU'RE DOWN THERE! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!"

Holy crap! That's an RCMP helicopter! Where did that come from?!

"Holy crap! It's the Royal Canadian Mounted Police!" I screamed.

"You mean all that trash you were talking was true?" Leshawna asked her.

"No," Izzy replied. "Just the RCMP part. See ya."

She stood up, shouted, "YOU'LL NEVER GET ME ALIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!" She ran away, laughing maniacally.

We all had that look on our faces. It said: What… the… fuck.

Don't get me wrong, I'm so glad that Lindsay's safe. But this has got to be the craziest thing to witness yet.

The only thing that could rival this level of crazy, was that I forgot that this all happened! I forgot all about this!

Now how crazy is that?

* * *

 **Finally done with the chapter. Now that this is out of the way, it's time to focus back on _The Canadian at Ever After High._**

 **Thank you for any birthday wishes and for reading this chapter and I'll see you next time.**


	18. Chapter 17 - Peparations

**I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. I just want to resolve some worries that you guys have over the continuation of this fic and my status on fanfiction.**

 **Rest assured, I'm not giving up on this story. Nor am I dead on fanfiction. Just because I haven't updated this story for over a month doesn't mean it's dead. I'm just focusing on my other stories. If I update one of my other stories besides this one, then that means I'm not dead.**

 **I'm getting spam reviews and messages about how each chapter is taking a long time to get updated, even on my other stories. Heck, I had to report a reviewer for spamming my _The Canadian at Ever After High_ story on a comment n what's taking _Cody's Redemption_ so long.**

 **Don't get me wrong, I love the support this story has been getting. However, the lack of consideration despite me saying many times that I am still in high school and that I'm about to head for college soon and don't necessarily have the free time to do the things I want to anymore is abnormally large.**

 **Believe it or not, being spammed a lot actually makes me want to work on this stuff even _LESS_. It's getting harder to ignore this stuff when my review pages are slowly getting flooded with _"continue this story"_ or _"Where is Total Drama Cody's Redemption"._ I totally get being excited, and I've done the exact same thing when I'm personally really excited for something I like. But impatience will make me either push back this story or ruin it with copy and pasted words because the pressure will leave me very unmotivated. It stops me from trying new things and thus just sucks the fun away.**

 **With that said, I'm still gonna see TD: CR to the very end. I WANT to get this story done myself. But you gotta understand that things take time, and I'm not gonna deliver if it's not at its best. Patience is all I'm asking for, nothing more.**

 **Anyways enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Uhh… why is my bed hard? And why can't I move-

HOLD IT!

I'm lying on some hard surface unable to move for some reason: the setting is not my cabin; I'm in some dark and cold place with rock walls; this place looks like a bear's cave.

"Grrrrrrrr…"

That sound. It sounded like a bear's growl!

"Grrrrrrrr…" and another, " _GRRRRRRRR_ ," an angrier one…

" **RAWWWRR!** "

I widened my eyes to see FOUR bears standing around me about to dine on me. It was then that I realize that I was tied all over on a table. And also, I was surrounded by a feast of foods like meat, salad, soups, fruits, and other Thanksgiving meals.

After putting the pieces together, I was able to realize what was going on.

"Ugggghhhhhhh!" I groaned in frustration, "This is another dream!" I looked back at the bears who were ready to dine on me. I groaned in annoyance and said, "Alright, can you just eat me already? I'd really like to get this stupid dream over with."

One of the bears grinned at me. Then, all of a sudden, he pulled out a massive electric chainsaw out of nowhere. He turned it on as it began to make a loud noise.

My pupils shrank, "Uh… I meant in a calmer fashion?"

The bear didn't listen though. He raised his chainsaw high above his head and quickly brought it down on me.

"GAH-!"

* * *

"NO!"

And then I woke up.

Geez, Louise. These nightmares I'm getting are becoming more and more bizarre by each new ones. They're becoming so bizarre that it's becoming easier to identify my dreams.

I took a quick glance around to see that I was back in my cabin safe and sound. I rubbed my forehead in confusion.

"I should start writing my dreams down in a journal. They'd probably make for a good book series," I said.

"Make what for a good series?" I heard someone said. I looked down to see Trent all dressed for today.

"Oh, nothing Trent. I just had some bizarre dream is all," I explained.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"No, it wasn't scary, but so weird. Anyway, what time is it?"

"It's eleven. You missed breakfast," It's already eleven? Have I really slept for that long? "And do you wanna know what's so bizarre? Noah woke up before us."

Seriously? Noah was the first to awaken? That doesn't sound like Noah that I know. The Noah I know would be a loyal friend and would not try to get my LOVE INTEREST ELIMINATED!

Shoot, almost lost my mind there for a moment. Wait, did I say love interest? Where did that come from?

God, just thinking about Noah and what he tried to do yesterday really boils my mind. I thought for sure that he was one of my best friends. But after that stunt to get Lindsay out of the game (when it was Izzy who caused us the lose) I don't think I could call him that anymore.

I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I'm actually glad that the RCMP showed up at that moment. I have faith that Izzy could outrun them. If she was able to do so the first time then who'd say she'll be unsuccessful this time? Besides, she's just gonna come into the game at the halfway point anyway.

Then again, Izzy might _not_ return this time. This would make Noah all more upset.

Oh boy, now I'm starting to feel guilty. I hope Izzy returns.

"Hey, Cody? Are you in there?" I heard Trent's voice which broke my train of thought.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about Izzy's elimination last night," I said.

"Yeah, that was really random."

Silence took over.

"Sorry for voting Lindsay last night Cody," Trent apologized, "I just don't want to take any chances with her. Noah made some good points when it comes to her in future challenges."

I was about to reply with my own thoughts when something struck my mind again. Trent mentioned the word 'challenge'. How many challenges have I've been in so far?

"Remind me the last few challenges?" I asked Trent.

Trent looked confused but still complied, "Well, our first was the cliff diving and hot tub challenge, then there was the Awake-a-thon, then the dodgeball…"

"Then the talent contest," I continued.

"Then the camping challenge."

"Then that fear-facing challenge."

"And yesterday was the canoe trip," Trent finished.

"Which means…" I trailed off as I thought what's the next challenge tomorrow. I widened my eyes upon realization.

The next challenge is the paintball-deer-hunting challenge. That's the challenge where I get eliminated. That's when I get mauled by a bear and eliminated due to my injuries. That's when my time on Total Drama Island comes to an end. That's when I was almost killed!

I got work to do today!

I immediately jumped out of my bed, grabbed my clothes and ran out of the cabin, leaving a confused Trent behind.

* * *

 **Confessional - Trent**

"What's got him so riled up just now?" he wondered.

* * *

I did the same thing as I always did every morning, but this time quicker. Once finished, I ran to the Bass cabin instead to find Duncan. I can't believe that I'm actually going to Duncan for this, but he's the only person on this whole island that would even have what I need.

My only hope is that he actually agrees to lend me that thing I need. It's probably one of his most prized possessions.

I trekked up the steps of the Bass cabin and went up to the boy's side of the cabin. I began to knock on the door rapidly.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Duncan!"

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Duncan!"

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Duncan!"

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Duncan!"

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Duncan!"

The door opened to reveal the person I wanted to see.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Duncan asked grumpily. He then noticed it was me, "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"I need you to give me something," I said going straight to the point.

He raised his unibrow in confusion, "Give you something?"

"If you can give me that thing, then I'll be eternally grateful."

"That depends on what you need from me," he then changed discussion topic, "Actually, that reminds me. Do you got one of those chicks' bras yet?"

"No, I didn't. I haven't found time to do so yet," I lied.

"Well, that's a wimp move."

"This whole bra thing doesn't have anything with what I need from you."

"Alright, alright, what do you need from me?"

"Your pocket knife."

This got Duncan to tense up a little. He must've not been expecting that demand.

"I'm sorry what?"

"Your pocket knife, Duncan."

"What makes you think I have it?"

"You're a criminal, man. It's an obvious fact that you would carry around a weapon."

"Even if I do have it, what do you even want with it?"

Oh boy, I was hoping that he wouldn't start asking me these questions. I can't tell him otherwise he'd feel suspicious of me. He might even tell everyone else.

I need to be honest, but not tell to much information.

"I, well…" I hesitated as I thought upon my words, "I need to craft some things."

"What things?"

"...spears?"

Neither one of us spoke a word for a moment. Then all of a sudden, I saw Duncan stifling a laugh. What's he laughing about?

"HA! You want to make spears for yourself? Well isn't that funny. That's something I do whenever I'm bored. Only I never went ahead and use them."

I raised an eyebrow, "Really? You haven't used any of your wooden spears to kill your enemies?"

I don't think I should've said that. Duncan glared at me again and snarled, "Listen, nerd. I may be a criminal, but even I don't kill my enemies. Beat them up till they're broken sure. But I don't go that far."

I stepped back feeling a little nervous, "Hehe, y-yeah I know. Just a joke," I got my cool back, "But I really need that pocket knife. I need it for what's to come."

"'To come'?"

"W-Well what I _feel_ might come. I just feel anxious about something. But please, please lend me your pocket knife. Please."

Duncan just stood there for a moment probably thinking if he should lend me his knife. After what seemed to be a while he retreated back into his cabin. He later came back out with a pocket knife in his left hand.

I smiled and reached out to grab it. But before I could, my arm was suddenly grabbed by Duncan's left. He held me in a firm grip.

He looked at me with what might be the scariest looking glare he could ever muster.

"Return it to me, once you're done using it. If anything happens to it, ANYTHING… you're dead. Capiche?"

"R-Right. L-Loud and clear," I stuttered.

Once he handed me the knife, I immediately retreated and ran out of the cabin area.

* * *

 **Confessional - Duncan**

"I swear he better not do anything to one of my prized possessions. That knife was with me for years now. If that nerd does anything to it, I'm gonna give him more than just a simple beat up."

* * *

Aha! That's a good stick.

I've been walking around the forest area for the past half hour now trying to find some good strong sticks that would make a good spear out of.

For now, I've found two sticks. Maybe just one more would suit me.

Okay, I think it's time to discuss the elephant in the room: your confusion. You must be wondering what I've been planning and doing since I jumped out of bed. You must be wondering why I went up to Duncan and asked him for his pocket knife. Yes, I do hate Duncan, but he's the only one who would provide me with that knife.

And I've just found my last stick. Time to start crafting spears

I sat on a log that I found and grabbed one of my sticks I've found, I began crafting my first spear.

The trick is that I can't have the point to blunt otherwise I'll won't get good penetration, nor do I want it too pointy and slendy otherwise it decreases the strength of this weapon. I have to find a perfect medium for this type of thing.

Oh geez. I didn't think spear crafting would be this tough. I've rewatched some episodes where I saw Duncan crafting some spears. He made it look so easy to do so. I guess it comes from years of being a criminal.

Now, where was I? Ah yes, now I remember. I was gonna revealed what my plan is. And that is to make some weapons to defend me against that bear tomorrow.

Now you might be thinking: Cody, what the heck are you thinking? Your planning to fight against a bear? That's not only suicidal but that is so OOC for you.

First of all, I'm not planning on fighting the bear head on tomorrow because I already know it's suicide. This is just a means for self-defence if I ever run into a bear for the second time. This island is inhabited by how many bears, and I don't need a bear to attack me out of nowhere. I need to prepare myself for it. I can't outrun a bear because they're faster than me.

Okay, I'm done with my first spear. Time to craft my second one.

Secondly, this has nothing to do with me being OOC, nor it's not an attempt for me to become OP (overpowered). If I ever do become OP, then I'd become so by getting myself a variety of different monster powers by having sex with different monster girls one at a time or all together, which would give me an X-Men mutant statue.

And if I ever feel the need afterwards, I'd probably see myself having sex with some fairytale characters like princesses, witches, female warriors, and other female characters in some fairy tale stories, earning myself even more powers for use. Probably the daughters of well renowned fairytale characters.

Geez, that was a weird metaphor for me becoming OP. Where did these thoughts come from anyway? **[1]**

Got my second down. On to my final spear.

And lastly, I'd stick with someone close to feel safer from any bear onslaught if I wasn't a liability to that other someone. The only campers that would make me feel safe would be Trent, Lindsay, Bridgette, Gwen, or Leshawna.

Gwen isn't a pushover, but she might not want to be around me still, and I'm pretty sure Trent wants to be with Gwen tomorrow. Bridgette is fine if she wasn't on the other team, and she's also clumsy on land so that's a no-go with her. Lindsay could be another good candidate if she wasn't around Heather during this challenge.

Wait a minute… The main reason why I was eliminated the first time around was that I was too injured to continue playing. If I wasn't mauled by the bear, then Heather would've been gone.

This is perfect! This the perfect time to finally get Heather out of the competition once and for all! All I have to do tomorrow is avoid myself from getting mauled, and then Heather would become the prime candidate for elimination. She's the most hated member of the Screaming Gophers, so of course, she'd leave.

And with that, I fashioned myself my last spear.

Now with all spears crafted, I began to wander around the woods aimlessly to find a good spot to hide them. I can't bring them back with me to camp otherwise they'd be taken away and everyone would become wary of me.

The problem was that everything looks the same. I need to find a good landmark to hide my spears away. One recognizable and stands out as the odd 1s out from the rest of the forest.

Aha! I think I have found my landmark. It's a series of large bushes huddled around a large pine tree. The tree itself wasn't looking so green either. It looked dead. The bush could also make for a good hiding place for my spears. And as an added bonus, these aren't blueberry bushes either.

Confirming my location I hid my Spears away under the bushes.

Everything is set. I eyed the entire landmark again a few more times to keep the image stuck in my head. A dead pine tree being huddled by a series of bushes.

Once I got it set in my mind I turned back to camp calling it a day. I just have one goal tomorrow: Don't get mauled by any bears. Keep my head up at all times, and stay alive. We lose, and then it's goodbye Heather.

Unless we end up actually winning tomorrow's challenge.

You know what, I have a feeling we will lose tomorrow.

Your days are numbered, Heather. You will not be missed.

* * *

 **[1] Randompandattack's _The Canadian at Monster High,_ and my story _The Canadian at Ever After High_.**

 **Before I leave, I want to give a shout out to the Anonreviewer who's been a great reviewer for this story. He or she not only reviews well, but he understands the concept of patience and quality. And for that I thank him.**

 **And for those who are wondering whether I'm a boy or girl, well I'm just gonna be straight up frank. I'm a dude.**

 **Anyway, express your thoughts on this chapter in the review box below, faourite and follow, and I'll see you next time.**


	19. Chapter 18 - The Geek and the Bear

**After a month of brutal homework and writing over seven thousand words, I've _finally_ finished chapter 18 of TD: CR.**

 **This one was a tough one. I wanted to make this one more out of the ordinary and so unexpected to you readers. A fair warning, you'll be reading a chapter that is _so_ unexpecting, _so_ OOC, you will be like, "WTF did I just read?!"**

 **And if that isn't enough I have some more good news in the endnotes of this chapter.**

 **So enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

The good news was that I didn't wake up from a nightmare. The bad news was I woke up to a narcissistic jerk who has five words in his name, beginning with the letter 'C'.

I groaned as I woke up from the loud noise; Trent did the same thing and Noah…

 _THUD!_

He fell off his bunk.

That's one of the cons when sleeping on the top bunk. There are no barriers to keep yourself from falling. Except if it were a baby bunk that is.

Anyway, the remaining Gopher's and I headed out and saw a line into the girls' bathroom. A common thing back in my school.

I decided to go up to Leshawna and ask her. "Hey, Leshawna, what's with the line?"

The Soul Sista turned to me. "Hey, String Bean. Dat there witch in there is hogging all dat hot water all to herself," she said clearly upset.

"She takes to much pride in herself and her beauty. All Queen Bees are like her," I said.

"Way to much pride," Leshawna sneered in agreement.

Just then, Gwen spoke, "Yeah, I think I'm gonna go Lumberjack style," she turned around and stalked into the woods.

I glanced a worried look at her, "Do you think that she'll warm up to me soon?" I asked Leshawna.

"You tell me. But you weren't all so 'nice boy' with her, ya know," Leshawna said with eyes that showed her disapproval.

She must've been referring to the day when I scolded and lashed out at Gwen. "I know, I know, but how would you feel if someone blamed you for something you didn't do?"

"Why I be all out for her," Leshawna said. But… wasn't that hypocritical?

Before I could question her answer she continued. "Still, she blamed you for something that was just as crazy as me makin' friends with Ms. Witch in there," she pointed back at the washroom. "Don't know where she got that idea. I tried to talk with her what her big deal is with ya."

Leshawna tried talking with Gwen after I left? I wonder what she said. I asked, "Did Gwen say anything about me?"

"Whenever ah brought you up, she just remains all silent as a log. Don't get what so wrong 'bout you. You're fine 'bean'."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't hate me?"

"Naw, I heard what you did for Gwen and Trent. 'Bout time someone got them together. It was nice of you to do dat."

I let out a sigh. "Well, that's a relief."

"Trust me, String Bean," Leshawna smiled. "Give Gwen some time and she'll be yer friend. I'll continue to put in some good words for ya."

"That's another good relief. Thanks," I smiled.

 _"I hope you're ready for the most challenging challenge yet! Breakfast in three minutes at the campfire pit,"_ we heard Chris spoke through the loudspeaker.

"Shoot, I still haven't taken my business yet," I said.

"Well, what're ya waiting for? Get goin' or ya gonna be late," Leshawna told me. I did what she told me to do and rushed to the boy's bathroom.

Good thing there was no line to the boy's washroom. I took my piss, brushed my teeth and ran to the campfire pit. Thank goodness I wasn't the last one to arrive.

A little while later, Heather showed up with Lindsay and Beth behind her. Most of the girls glared at them.

Then Chris arrived. After making sure that all of us were here, he spoke. "Are you ready for today's, EXTREME MAX-IMPACT CHALLENGE?"

I was expecting a loud 'YES!' from Owen. But then I remembered that he was voted off. Owen never deserved to be voted off. He wasn't even a good candidate.

Chris rolled his eyes as no one responded, "Whatever," he said, throwing some cans at us. Trent caught one before it hit Gwen's face.

"This," Chris said as he tossed a few more cans. I managed to catch mine. "is breakfast."

"No. Breakfast is crepes, croissants, even Chef's crappy burnt eggs," Heather ranted like the first time.

I'd take beans over Chef's cooking any day.

"Today's challenge is about _survival_ ," Chris explained the challenge while we ate. He continued. "We're going _hunting!_ " He pulled out a lime green gun from behind his back, catching some of us off guard.

"Now that's more like it," Duncan said with a grin.

"Isn't that a paintball gun?" Harold asked.

"Why yes Harold, it is," Chris answered, pointing the gun at Harold and shooting him with it.

I actually went paintballing when I was younger. Let's just say my time at that paintball place wasn't so pleasant.

"So we won't be killing anything?" Asked Bridgette.

"Negatory. This is the first ever paintball deer hunt. I'll announce the teams once we get into the woods. So… finish breaky."

I managed to scarf down my beans. They weren't the best, but they didn't taste horrible. If any, I prefer if we had chocolate for breakfast.

Mmmmm… chocolate…

Chris led us to a place in the woods. There was a board with paintball guns and some other boxes. The last time I was a deer. Maybe I can be a hunter this time.

He then announced the teams, "The Killer Bass hunters are Harold, Geoff and Bridgette." Chris said, tossing them the red paintball guns, "Locked and loaded with Bass Blue paint."

"And using orange paint," the host grabbed a magenta gun off the rack, "are the Gopher hunters! Leshawna, Beth, Lindsay and Noah."

Aw man. I have to be a deer again. Terrific.

"You also get these stylin' glasses and wicked camo caps," Chris said. I wish I was a hunter.

"The rest of you," He said, pointing to the rest of us. "are now deer's," He opened the boxes containing the deer accessories. "Here are your antlers, noses and little whitetails. Haha." He laughed.

"Yeah right. I am not wearing that," Heather objected.

"There is no way I'm a deer," Duncan seconded.

"Take these off and your team is toast," Chris said, putting the antlers on Duncan.

Harold stifled a laugh. Duncan glared at the nerd shutting him up.

I went and put on my accessories. I don't think I said it the first time around, but this is embarrassing.

"Deers, make your way into the forest. You have ten minutes before the hunters show up."

"And what do we do?" Leshawna asked.

"I don't know, talk strategy or something. Beats me," Chris answered.

"This is perhaps one of the lamest things I have ever done in my life," Gwen said as she, Trent, Heather and I headed into the woods.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Back in school, I was one of the prime victims in getting spitballs in my head. I managed to get better in dodging spitballs as I got older, so paintballs shouldn't be a big deal to me this challenge," I continued, "Although, I rather prefer if I were a hunter, and, to be honest, the paintballs aren't what I'm worried about."

* * *

"This is, by far, the most humiliating thing I have ever had to do," Gwen commented as we continued through the woods.

"Aw come on, Gwen. This nothing compared to what I had to go through," I replied.

She glanced back at me. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"How about getting constant wedgies almost everyday, having a 'kick me' sign on my back without me noticing it, getting swirlies, having salt in my soda causing me to spit it out at a girl, having some jock take a picture of me while I was in the school showers and then posting it on my school's social media pages, and how about-"

"Okay! Shut up! I get it!" Gwen replied aggressively.

Geez, I thought she'd be warmer to me after what I did for her.

"While you guys are talking about your lame lives, I'm gonna go find Lindsay and Beth to protect me," Heather stated.

"Isn't that illegal?" Gwen asked.

"I don't remember hearing Chris say anything against it, so I'm doing it. You three try your best to not get shot. We need to win this," Heather walked off, irritating Gwen.

"Look on the bright side," Trent said as he placed his hand on Gwen's shoulder. "At least we can get through this challenge together."

Gwen smiled.

I stepped in next. "Trent's right. As long as we stick together, we'll be safe."

Gwen glared at me, however. She grabbed Trent by the arm and pulled him away.

"Good luck, Cody," Trent called back.

I waved back as the two disappeared into the trees.

Great, just great. I was hoping I'd be able to stay with those two throughout the challenge. I'd be much safer from any bear attack. But instead, I'm all alone like last time.

I need to find my spears and fast. Otherwise, I'd be defenceless. With that in mind, I turned around and jogged through the woods to find my spears. Or anyone else for that matter; I don't even care if it's a Bass in this matter.

I don't remember the time limit like last time, but what I do know is that I shouldn't go anywhere near a blueberry bush. That's one place a bear might come out from. I learned that from experience.

Hang on, where did I leave my spears again? Let me think. A series of bushes huddling around a dead pine tree. That's it! Also, I remember what the landmark looks like.

I just had to find it; it should be easy enough.

You know, a thought occurred to me. I never understood the real rules to this challenge because Chris never explained them. All he said was that the Gopher's are hunting the Bass Deers, and vice versa. But how do we win? Did the first team to shoot all the opponent's deer win? Or was there some sort of time limit. All I had to do was avoid the Bass Hunters.

Hang on, how long had I been running for? I should've come across my landmark by now. Where is it?

"Uggghhh… shoot," I groaned as I halted my jogging. This is just great. I forgot where the landmark was. How am I supposed to find it now? For all I know, a bear could jump out at me at any given moment.

It was then that I heard some bush movement behind me. I glanced back and saw some bushes rustling. I immediately froze.

"W-Who's there?" I stuttered.

And coming out of the bushes was Beth.

She saw me and walked up to me. "Cody? What are you doing?" she asked.

"Jogging around, avoiding the Bass hunters, and trying to find a landmark," I answered.

"A landmark?" Beth wondered.

"Yeah, a good place to hide," it was then that I noticed a bag of chips in her left hand. "Where did you get those chips?"

"I got them from the Mess Hall," Beth said as she began to walk.

"The Mess Hall?" I asked as I began to walk alongside her. "Don't you know that's Chef's territory? He didn't catch you did he?"

"No. I was very lucky to get out unnoticed. All for this bag of chips," she presented to me the bag.

"And why would you go for some chips?"

"I didn't want to," she admitted. "I was kind of forced to by Heather. She said she was hungry and wanted me to get her these while Lindsay gets her berries."

Of course. I should've known Heather was gonna be so cruel again.

"Why are you even working with Heather in the first place? Actually, no, the proper term is not 'working with her', you're working for her," I explained.

"Well, yeah, I guess. But Heather said that she would take me to the final three with Lindsay. Isn't that great!" Beth said now feeling excited.

"You're being played, Beth. I don't think you should trust Heather. She's forcing you to do all these things for you."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like this: I'm not a fan of horror films, but there are some films where the main villain is actually one of the protagonist's friends who everyone thought was normal. You get me?" **[1]**

"A little."

"Heather's an analogy to it. She's only using you and Lindsay as pawns just so she can get whatever she wants and still be safe. If she does something horrible, then she could put either you or Lindsay in the front line so you would take the blame. Would you want everyone to hate you for something you've never done?"

"What? Of course not! I don't want anyone to hate me."

"Then tell me this. Would you rather continue serving Heather who'll just lead you to your downfall, or work with real friends like me?"

Beth was silent for a moment and was in deep thought.

* * *

 **Confessional - Beth**

"Cody's right," Beth said now looking angry and annoyed, "All this time Heather has been using me to do stuff I never even want to do. I almost got hurt just to get a bag of chips! Aren't friends supposed to care for each other and not throw them into dangerous situations just to benefit themselves?!"

* * *

"GAAHH! That mean girl! Why am I even doing this for her anyway!? You know what, that does it. If she wants her chips, I'll give it to her and something else," she then opened the bag and began to devour some of the chips.

"Ahh, I see what you're doing. May I have a piece?" I asked.

"Definitely."

We continued eating the bag of chips as we continued trekking through the wood. We ran into Heather and Lindsay a few minutes later. The former was waiting impatiently. The bag was half eaten by then.

Heather wasn't happy by the way.

"Where were you? Did you get those chips?" she demanded.

"Well, I-"

Heather interrupted Beth when she saw me. "And what are you doing here?" she asked me.

"No reason," I answered casually. "I just ran into Beth and decided to walk and talk with her."

Then, all of a sudden, Heather did something so weird, so bizarre, that it made me go stiff and wide-eyed.

Heather pulled me into a hug.

"Oh, Cody!" she said in… a sorrowful tone? "I'm so sorry for how horribly I treated you. I feel just so terrible. Can you ever forgive me?"

I honestly had no idea what was going on. If there was one thing I knew from Total Drama Island it was that Heather would never act like this.

This was so not Heather. Unless…

"Well?"

"Oh, u-uh… s-s-s-sure," I stuttered in reply.

She let go of the hug and turned back to Beth.

"As for you, you're coming with me," she grabbed Beth's free hand and pulled her away.

Lindsay stayed behind. She looked at me and said, "You look soooo cute as a deer."

I blushed at her compliment, "Hehe, thanks."

"LINDSAY! GET OVER HERE!" Heather shouted from afar.

"Coming!" she replied to Heather before turning back to me. "See you later," and then Lindsay left.

I watched as they left. I can't believe that I got hugged by Heather of all people. But something doesn't feel right. I definitely need to keep an eye on her.

Now I'm all alone again. I gotta find my landmark. And fast.

I turned around and hightailed into the trees.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile)_

While I was continuing my search for my landmark, Heather stopped walking thinking she walked a good distance. Lindsay and Beth, who were behind her followed suit and halted.

Heather then grabbed Beth's chips and looked inside the bag.

"You ate half of the bag?" Heather snarled, "And you got Barbeque flavoured?" she threw the bag at Beth's face. "You should know better than to get me that kind of flavour. Now go back and get me the Dill Pickle flavour."

Beth was about to obey when something in the back of her mind told her otherwise. She probably remembered what I told her in our conversation of how Heather's really like.

With her newfound courage, Beth made her comeback.

"No."

Heather went wide-eyed after hearing that. She glared at Beth with the scariest looking face she could muster.

"What did you say?" Heather hissed menacingly.

"I said, no," Beth said not showing any signs of fear.

"Take it back," Heather ordered.

"No!" Beth drew herself up to her full height (though that wasn't much).

"Take. It. Back."

"No! I'm tired of being your slave!" Beth snapped, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a challenge to complete." she turned around and stalked back into the woods.

Heather was fuming in anger.

* * *

 **Confessional - Heather**

"That loser traitor!" Heather snarled in anger, "if she thinks that she can turn her back on me just like that, she'll have another thing coming!"

 **Confessional - Beth**

"Wow! That felt great! I really need to thank Cody for what he told me. I feel so, empowered!"

* * *

Back to me now; I was still running around trying to find that damn landmark of mine.

I mean, Come on! Where the heck is that damn tree?! It's just one tree huddled in some bushes. How is it so hard to find it.

I swear if I don't find it, I'm gonna-

I stopped running when I spotted something.

Aha! There's that damn landmark! How was I unable to find it sooner?

Without any hesitation, I peeked into the bushes to see if my Spears were still there, and sure enough, they were. I grabbed all three of them and strapped them to my belt. Now I feel more defensive.

"Thank God," I mumbled to myself.

Now that I'm all safe and sound I began to trek back through the trees to continue evading the Bass hunters. As well as hopefully avoid any bear attacks.

I wonder how Gwen and Trent are doing. I hope they're in a good hiding spot away from the enemy.

Perhaps they're making out under a tree. That's a thought.

Where was I even going anyway? I honestly have no idea where I was even at. I'm kinda surprised that I haven't been found by any of the Bass hunters yet.

Just to remind me, the Bass hunters were Harold, Geoff, and Bridgette.

Man, I really miss Bridgette. She hasn't spoken with me all that much since that third nightmare I had. The one where Alejandro was an Emperor and had Bridgette and Lindsay as his sex slaves? That was probably the worst nightmare I had on this island.

But why is Bridgette avoiding me? I should probably go to her tomorrow and ask her. She's an honest person; she can tell me.

I immediately stopped walking when I heard some bushes rustling behind me. I grabbed one of my spears, got into a defensive position, and prepared myself for whatever it was.

"W-Who's there?" I called out feeling scared.

And coming out of the bushes was someone I wasn't looking forward to running into. That, someone, was Noah.

"Noah!?" I said in surprise and annoyance.

"Oh, it's you," Noah said walking up to me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well if you wish to know, I'm hunting for some deer. But you're not the deer I'm looking for."

"Well sorry if that loses your chance to shoot something."

He then noticed the spears attached to my belt, "What's with those spears?" he pointed at them.

"None of your business, that's what."

"Don't you remember what you said back on the first day to Duncan?"

"Wait, you were there at the cockroach scene?" I didn't see Noah there at the time.

"Well, I was either there to marvel at the girls' side of our cabin, and see the amazing similarities between both sides, or to find out what was up with that scream of her's."

"Hey, it was a cockroach. Everyone hates them," I defended Lindsay.

"Because a cockroach can surely kill someone," Noah with his sarcasm.

"Oh, whatever, you always see the cons in people," I turned around and began to walk away.

Noah, for some reason, began to walk alongside me.

"And you always see the pros in people," Noah retorted.

"That's not true," he simply stared at me. "Okay, so I may have been ignorant of everyone's bad traits at one point, but that was totally different."

"Then care to elaborate Lindsay's bad traits?" Noah asked.

"Care to elaborate Izzy's bad traits?" I answered with my own question.

"Izzy's wild, she seems to enjoy plotting some bizarre solutions to various situations-"

"And she helped the other team out," I interrupted and finished for Mr. Cynical.

Noah glared at me.

"You know you could've gotten the team to vote Heather out. Why didn't you do that?" I asked.

"Believe me I wanted to, but there was no reason to vote her out," Noah explained.

"Okay, that may have been true for that challenge, but she's the number one most hated member of our team. I mean, she's been a bother to Gwen since the very beginning. I still don't get why Gwen put her vote for her yet. All she's ever been doing is bossing us around and commanding Lindsay and Beth to do her bidding."

"And secure some additional votes for herself. Trust me, Cody, if Lindsay and Beth are gone then Heather wouldn't have any more allies left. She'd be defenceless then. And besides, it's your own fault for not getting together with Lindsay already."

I didn't say anything. Feeling grumpy, I crossed my arms, pouted, and looked away. I really hate it when someone has the better argument over mine.

I was trying to think of a counter-argument before a sound interrupted my train of thoughts which made me froze. It sounded like… growling.

Noah looked around. "What was that?"

I was starting to sweat. "We need to leave. Now."

"What are you-"

 _"GRRRRRRRR…"_

That growling sound came from behind me. I'm sure of it. Noah was facing the source. How do I know that? Because his face had the word 'scared' written all over it.

I gulped. "It's a bear isn't it?"

Noah nodded.

"Big?"

"About seven feet in height."

"Anything else?"

"It's wearing a scuba diving gear for some reason."

Feeling scared myself, I slowly turned around to see a large hulking bear. And Noah was right; for some reason, it was wearing a scuba diving gear.

There was a pause. No one moved even a slight millimetre. But the bear made the first sound.

 **"RAWWWRR!"**

"RUN!" I screamed in fear.

* * *

 **Confessional - Chris**

"Scuba Bear is a bear created by us at the Total Drama Scientific Institute for the specific purpose of something I'm not allowed to disclose to you. For some reason he really, and I mean really loves blueberries."

* * *

"Is it still on us!?" Noah asked as we continue to ran.

I looked behind and saw that the scuba-wearing bear was still on us. Not only was it catching up with us fast, it was running on its hind legs! How's it running fast only on its hind legs anyway!?

"It's catching up on us! And fast!" I said.

"Welp, I never thought that I would go out like this!" Noah said.

That was when I remembered about my spears. I reached out from behind, grabbed one of them, halted and quickly spun around into a defensive position. I extended my spears out; The sharp point pointed directly at the scuba-wearing bear and it stopped right in front of the point.

"Stand back!" I yelled in desperation. "I'm warning you! Don't come any closer! I have a spear and I'm not afraid to use it!" I kept a firm grip on my spear. It got my knuckles to turn white. "I don't like killing, but I'll do it if it means keeping myself alive!"

However, the scuba-wearing bear roared and slapped the spear right out of my hands. Making me lose it. I slowly stepped back as I grabbed my second one.

"I have more of these!" I said.

"Cody! What the fuck are you doing!?" I heard Noah yell from behind me.

Again, the bear roared and slapped my second spear right out of my hands.

This time, however, I lost the balance of my stance and landed on my butt.

The bear began to stalk up to me. It towered over me. Fear began to fill me as I thought that I was gonna get mauled like the first time.

I shuffled back on my butt as I tried to get away from the bear. Then, using whatever courage I had left, I reached behind me for my last spear.

The scuba-wearing bear roared and lunged at me.

"GAH!"

Time seemed to slow as I got hold of my last spear. Then with a speed I never knew I had, I drove the spear forward and penetrated the bear's throat, as it went through and out the other side.

I stared at what I have just done. I killed an animal. Relief and guilt began to fill me with fear. Relief because I saved myself from getting mauled a second time, and guilt for murdering an animal.

However, my guilt was only short-lived for the bear began to twitch. It twitched from slightly to more violently. Sparks began flying out of its fur and it started to spaz out. It looked like the bear was having a seizure.

And then its head popped out flying!

I dove for cover as the head hit the ground.

The head landed near me and I saw half of the face burnt off... revealing an endoskeleton beneath it.

My eyes widened as I saw the endoskeleton. I looked back at the bear's body and noticed some wirings inside from where the head was.

I didn't move at all. My mind was just on the bear and only on the bear.

I heard footsteps from behind. It was Noah who returned to the scene. He saw the whole thing unfold from a distance and too was surprised by the endoskeleton reveal.

"It… was… a robot… this whole time…?" I said slowly almost in a whisper.

"Wow…" Noah said as he looked at the scene. "I honestly wasn't expecting that."

I didn't reply back to Noah. My shock began to be replaced with anger. I felt my fist tightened as I continued staring at the scene.

"I was… we were… almost killed… by a fucking robot…"

"…"

 **"CHRIIIIIIIIIIIISSSS!"**

I shouted so loud that it sent every bird on the island into the air, hopefully, to find some quieter place to roost.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I was so close to being seriously injured! Maybe even dead! And I was fought over for! And for what!? All for some stupid ratings!?" I yelled in anger.

 **Confessional - Noah**

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but that bear being animatronic really took me by surprise," Noah paused for a moment. "I'm really starting to wonder what Chris has up his sleeves on this island."

* * *

"FUCKING CHRIS!" I stomped on the robotic bear remnants. "FUCKING BEAR!" I stomped again on some wirings. "FUCKING WAWANAKWA- WHOA!" I tripped and fell to the ground and landed on my back.

I began to breathe as my heart was beating at an alarming rate. But I was slowly calming down.

"You finished yet?" Noah asked me as he stared at me.

"Aren't you even remotely angry for nearly being in this near-death situation?" I grumbled and panted.

"I would be if I was crazy enough to fight that thing head on," he stated. "But you did it for me so I'm fine."

"We weren't even gonna be able to outrun that thing in the first place. Someone had to do something. I learned from experience."

"You were mauled by a bear at one point?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No. I'm talking about experiences from jocks and bullies," I lied. "And besides, you're welcome."

"I never said thank you."

 _"Attention human-wildlife and hunters, please report back to camp! It's time to show your hinds and tally up the scores!"_ We heard Chris announced through the loudspeaker.

"Looks like the challenge is over finally," Noah said. "Sucks. Didn't got a chance to shoot something."

"Shoot the bear then. Or whatever's left of it," I said.

Taking my advice, Noah began to fire some shots at the dead robotic bear. He got like twenty to thirty.

"There. Now I feel satisfied," Noah grinned.

"Good for you," I said as I stood up. I then walked over to the bear's head and lifted it in my hand. "Want to show everyone else what I've almost been through."

"Sure, go on ahead. It's not like you're leaving me out of your story."

"Thank you."

The two of us headed back to camp.

* * *

Before Noah and I arrived, Chris paced back and forth in front of the contestants with a scowling look.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Stealing from Chef. Eating chips in the woods. Turning on your own teammates," Chris listed off in a serious tone. "Do you _know_ what I see here? I see a very undisciplined group. I see a disgraceful mess. I see a massive waste of paint products." Everyone held their heads low in shame. At least some of them did.

"And, I have to say… that was awesome!" He began to laugh. "Haha, when you guys opened fire on your own team." Chris told the Gophers, "simply _classic_! Great TV guys."

"Say, where's String Bean and lil' ol' Turkey?" Leshawna asked. That was our signal to step out.

"OVER. HERE." I grunted as I made myself known with Noah behind me.

Everyone turned their attention to me in wonder.

"And where the heck have you two been?" Heather rudely interrogated.

"Oh nowhere," I replied casually. "Just taking some time having to defend against **THIS!** " Timing it almost perfectly with me saying " **THIS** ", I brought out the bear head from behind me and showed it to everyone. It was also sparking with electricity a little still.

No one didn't notice. The reason was that they all went into an impactful shock at seeing me holding the head of a bear. With a scuba diving mask on for some reason.

Everybody gasped by the way.

"CODY!" Chris asked also in surprise. "What the hell did you do to scuba bear?!"

"What the hell I did to scuba bear?! That's what you're more concerned about?! After I almost got mauled by this freakish robotic bear of yours?!"

"Robotic?" Everyone asked at the same time.

"Chris obviously sent this animatronic bear at me. Probably in the hopes of getting me mauled for more of his ridiculous **_ratings!_** "

"What the heck are you talking about?" Chris said both confused and upset. "I didn't send Scuba bear to you."

"Likely story!"

"It's true! I was gonna use him for ratings, but no on you. You'd lose me ratings if you're gone."

"So what? Now you're saying that I'm a tool to earn your precious ratings? The key to unlocking yourself more riches?"

* * *

 **Confessional - Noah**

"And he doesn't mention that I was there too," Noah said blatantly. "Go ahead. It's not like I'm important to this whole event."

* * *

"CODY!"

All of a sudden I was pulled into another hug by Lindsay- who ran up to me in worry. And like before, and before, I was pulled into heaven, which was her unknowingly putting my face right in her colossal cleavage.

I really need that.

"Oh, Cody! I don't know what I would've done if you got hurt by that robot bear thingy!"

Then I got pulled _again_. This time from behind and away from Lindsay.

"Cody! I know I wasn't there, but I don't even want to think what would've happened to you!"

I looked behind and saw it was Bridgette hugging me. I could feel her chest on my back. I really needed that too.

Then I was pulled by Lindsay. "Hey! Hands off my boyfriend!"

Then I was pulled by Bridgette. "Your boyfriend? Since when?!"

Then by Lindsay. "Since the talent show."

Then by Bridgette. "The talent show?"

Lindsay. "Of course. He's done so much for me and I wanted to return the favour."

Bridgette. "By going on stage and showing off your body."

"Your just jealous that I'm sexier than you'll ever be."

"Excuse me! I don't need to be sexy to get a boyfriend."

"That's not what I learned you medium-size-boob girl!"

"Don't you even dare mention my boob size you no good big-boob-blonde!"

"Well, it's not my fault that Cody likes my boobies instead of yours!"

"It's not my fault that Cody goes to me when he's in need of comfort from depression!"

"I was there to comfort him! After that scary dream he had!"

"Yeah, one time! And I was by his side first!"

"No you weren't, I was!"

"Don't I get a say in this!?" I interjected, frightened by their bickering.

"NO!"

 ** _*TWEEEEEEEEEEE!*_**

Chris blew on his whistle causing the two blondes to stop bickering and fighting.

"Alright! That's enough! I'm all for drama when it comes to romance, but this is a thirty minutes show, and you're taking up to much of my screen time. So break it up!"

Lindsay and Bridgette blushed in embarrassment and let go of me. They looked away in shame. Not to mention we were the centre of attention just now.

"Well now that that's out of the way, time to announce the final results," he turned back to the teams and began to think. "Let's see. Since three members of the Gophers are dripping in paint," Chris said, referring to Leshawna, Heather, and Beth. I totally missed their paintball fight from earlier. Wish I was there to see Beth give Heather a piece of her mind.

Lindsay turned around showing her paint covered back. "Make that four members. And some of them aren't even deer's, I think we have our winners." He said, turning to the Bass.

The Bass cheered and jumped up in victory.

"You're off to a hunting camp shindig," Chris told the Bass. "Tomorrow at 10 AM. Be ready," the host then turned to us. "Gophers, I'll see you at the campfire ceremony. Again."

We had looks of disappointment on our faces.

"Call off the meetings," Gwen said. "They only ever lead to arguments. Nothing gets decided there."

"I second that," Noah added.

"Fine, we'll just see how the vote goes then," Heather said walking away.

* * *

 **Confessional - Bridgette**

"What am I doing," Bridgette said feeling devastated and ashamed. "I'm arguing with Lindsay over Cody who's not only going through a bad time but almost got mauled!" some tears began to leak out of her eyes. "First I tell Cody his deepest darkest secret to Courtney, and now this!? What am I turning into?!"

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"I feel, like, so mean right now," Lindsay said, also feeling ashamed. "I think I scared Cody when I was arguing with Brianna. I don't want Cody to be scared of me. I want him to love me."

 **Confessional - Geoff**

"Did you see little dude just now?" Geoff said in awe. "He's so lucky to have two hot chicks fighting over him. I don't think dude's even trying. Man, what's his secret?"

 **Confessional - Heather**

"Well that was a bust and failure," Heather commented in her usual mood. "But I swear Beth is so out of here!" she snarled. "I can't wait to see her get kicked off. I just wish today was my main target instead."

* * *

I really needed some relaxation before tonight's voting ceremony. After almost getting mauled by some robotic bear, I deserve some much-needed rest. I entered my cabin with Trent and Noah behind me. They probably wanted some rest too.

"I can't believe that you were almost mauled by that bear," Trent said. "What happened anyway?"

"Cody and I ran into each other back in the woods," Noah explained for me. "After having a such a nice conversation with him, Mr. Scuba Bear came out of nowhere. He chased us, and Cody, being the crazy person as we speak, decided to fend off the bear and was lucky enough to pierce it."

Trent was in awe after hearing that. He turned to me and said, "Really? Is that true?"

"As much as I wish it wasn't, yeah it was," I said in exhaustion. "I can't believe Chris would send something like that at me."

"First the diary, and now this? Man, Chris is really… something, isn't he?" By 'something', I bet you mean 'evil' right?

I wanted to tell Trent that it was Heather that stole Gwen's diary, but I wasn't sure if he would believe me. So I decided against it.

I walked towards my bunk and jumped onto my bed. But as I was lying down I began to feel something against my butt. I know these beds aren't comfy in the first place, but this bump I'm feeling is bumpier than usual. Perhaps something's on the bed.

I sat up and felt the bed again, but nothing was there. Having an idea, I jumped down from my bunk and began to feel my behind. I felt the bump still was still there. But it's coming from my back pocket. Something was in there.

I put my left hand in my back pocket for whatever it was. Once I got a hold of it, I pulled it out to see what it was. To my surprise, it was a bunch of blueberries in there. I counted fifteen of them.

"Where did you get those?" Noah asked who was watching me along with Trent.

"I have no idea," I replied honestly. "I never even knew that this island even had blueberry bushes."

"Well, this island has to have some then if you've found some in your back pocket."

"Are you sure that you didn't just found them without realizing it?" Trent asked.

"Trent, I know what I saw today. The only food I ate today was beans and chips. This is the first time that I'm realizing that I had these with me for some bizarre reason," I explained. "Strange too. Only now I felt them getting stuffed in my pocket."

"Well if you say so."

"But now that I have them…" I picked one of them and tossed it into my mouth. They tasted juicy. "Wants some?"

Noah and Trent shrugged and took some for themselves. At least we have something delicious to dine on before the ceremony.

Now the only question remains: Where did these blueberries come from?

* * *

Being back here during this certain night reminds me of how much I became a liability to my team. I became seriously injured with broken bones, bear scratches and scars. My injuries caused my team to vote me off.

Beth offered to push me to the Boat of Losers and kissed me goodbye on the cheeks. I was so hyped when I got that kiss, but that hype died down after getting pushed into the lake.

I was able to break out from most of my casting and swam to the surface and get pulled into the boat. When I arrived at the Playa, I was rebandaged and put into another wheelchair. All in all, it wasn't a good day for me then.

But that was then and this is now. I managed to prepare myself today and I avoided getting mauled again, so I shouldn't be on the chopping block like last time.

But that was still to be seen. Tonight was the moment of truth. It was time to see if I get past tonight's ceremony or still get eliminated.

Once we've made our vote, Chris began to speak.

"There are only seven marshmallows on this plate. When I call your name, come up and claim your marshmallow. The camper-"

"Who does not receive a marshmallow must immediately return to the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers and leave," Gwen quickly finished feeling irritated. "Can't we just get this over with?"

Chris shot her an annoyed glance. "Fine, whatever, spoil the moment," he said also feeling irritated.

He began to toss the marshmallows.

"Noah."

"Trent."

"Gwen."

"Lindsay."

"Leshawna."

Each camper caught their marshmallows. That left me in the bottom three with Beth and Heather. I was starting to feel nervous. Unless Chris announced me last to stir up more drama, someone must've voted for me to leave.

After what felt like forever he called out the sixth camper, which is…

"Cody."

"Huh?" I gasped.

"You're safe Cody. Here's your marshmallow."

He tossed the marshmallow to me and I caught it in my hands. I stared down at it as an overwhelming feeling of happiness filled my body.

"WOOHOO!" I jumped in happiness. "HA HA! I'm not eliminated! Yes! Take that you stupid bear!"

"Okay, dude. I'm happy for you, really," Chris interrupted. "But we need to finish this. I'm getting tired as it is!"

"...Sorry," I replied in embarrassment and sat back down. An awkward silence filled the air.

Now, all that's left is Beth and Heather. I already know that Heather's gonna be voted out. The majority hates her so they should've voted for her. Heather was my vote. I was feeling totally confident.

Beth crossed her fingers as Heather sliced her throat, motioning that Beth was dead meat. Don't see a point in doing that. Heather's dead meat tonight.

"Campers, this is the final marshmallow tonight, and it goes to..."

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"Heather." WHAT!?

"WHAT!?" I shouted in surprise.

"WHAT!?" everyone else, besides Heather and Lindsay followed.

Said Queen Bee snatched the last marshmallow from Chris's hands. "You are all lucky, okay? Very lucky!" She exclaimed to us.

"Nonononono!" I stood up in anger. "That can't be right. She should've gotten a majority! I voted Heather out!"

"Same. I voted for Heather too!" Gwen said also confused and angry.

"Me too!" Trent added.

"Chris, what da hell are ya playin' at?!" Leshawna shouted at Chris.

"I not playing anything," Chris said innocently. "According to the votes, the majority of you voted Beth out. Not Heather."

Beth stood up and sighed in disappointment. "Don't worry about it guys," she said. "Anything to get away from that mean jerk over there," she pointed at Heather who just rolled her eyes in a 'whatever' way.

"Beth, the Dock of Shame awaits you," Chris announced.

Sighing again, this time in sadness, Beth walked away.

It hurts me to see Beth walk away like that. I know for a fact that she didn't get the majority of the votes. Feeling the need to console her, I raced to her before she entered the boat.

I managed to get caught up with her just when she was halfway across the dock. I shouted, "Hey hold up!"

Beth turned back to face me. "Cody?"

I stopped in front of her. "I'm so sorry that you got eliminated like that. I honestly don't know what happened. Heather was supposed to get the boot tonight."

"That's okay."

"No, it's not okay. You deserve to go farther in the game. I can assure you that."

Beth didn't say anything for a moment before she smiled cutely.

"You know, you may be scary when you shout, but you're so nice and kind. I'm glad to have known you."

I almost blushed at her compliment. "Heh, thanks. And sorry if I ever scared you."

"That's alright. I know you didn't mean it," she continued. "And I almost forgot. Thank you for giving me that talk about Heather today. If it wasn't for you, I would still be working under her."

"I was just doing what needed to be done," I said.

Before I continued, Beth leaned towards me and kissed me on my left cheek. I froze from the touch of her lips.

She giggled at my reaction. "Well, goodbye."

And with that, she got onto the boat and was taken away from the island, heading for Playa des Losers.

Guilt began to fill me as I watched as the boat disappeared into the night. I feel like it's my fault that Beth's gone.

Now the only other question remains: How was Beth eliminated in the first place?

Looks like I'll be doing some digging for answers tomorrow.

* * *

 **[1] Noah uses this analogy with Lindsay in PB's _Total Drama Redemption._ I thought it was a good analogy and used it differently.**

 **See what I mean? See how OOC and out of the ordinary this chapter was?**

 **But anyway, I have some more news for you. More on my personal life. I've finally finished school everyone. I have officially finished grade 12 and graduated from high school. I past with flying colours and was awarded a scholarship and an honours degree. I'm so proud of myself.**

 **With that being said, I'll have more time in this summer to work on my stories. I hope to have the next chapter of TD: CR done by the 1st anniversary of this story.**

 **It's almost been a year since starting this story, and it's already considered one of the all-time greats! I mean, 315 reviews, 224 favourites, and 224 followers. I was honestly not expecting these many readers to be so immersed in this story.**

 **With that in mind, I must thank you all again for supporting this story and giving me the time to give you the best quality work I can give you.**

 **Anyway, that's all for now. Express your thoughts on this chapter in the review box, favourite and follow, and I'll see you all next time.**


	20. Chapter 19 - Logic Over Emotion

**20 chapters (including the prologue), and finally more than 100K words, all in a span of one whole year.**

 **Enjoy the anniversary chapter everyone.**

* * *

"This is ridiculous!"

"Fifteen."

"So wrong!"

"Sixteen."

"It doesn't make any sense!"

"Seventeen."

"What was the meaning of that!?"

"Eighteen."

"Sorry?" I turned to Noah who interrupted my thoughts.

"That was the eighteenth complaint you've made today. Do you have any idea how tedious it gets when you do it over and over again? It gets _really_ annoying."

"And I'm gonna _keep_ on complaining until I get an answer over how the heck Heather managed to stay safe!" I replied back. "Gwen said it, I said it, you said it, Trent," I looked at Trent. "Leshawna implied it, and I'm sure Beth voted for her too. Heather should've gotten the boot!"

You might be wondering what was going on here? Well, I'm complaining, that's what. I've been upset since morning because the votes haven't gone the way that I (and surely every other Gopher besides Heather and Lindsay) hoped for.

I wanted to get that anger and stress out of my system by complaining. I was lucky enough to have Trent and Noah to complain to. I know they aren't as upset as I am, but they were willing to listen to me. After all, they told me if I ever feel troubled, then I should just go to them. At the end of the day, they're my friends. At least Trent was to me. I wasn't ready to see eye to eye with Noah yet.

We were back in our cabin by the way

"Well…" Trent tried to say something. "Maybe there's a reason why Beth was eliminated."

"What reason?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe she broke some rules during the challenge yesterday."

"If Chris said anything about a rule, he'd had to have said it after or during last night's ceremony," I replied immediately.

"Well, maybe she… well…" he sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I got nothing else. This is weird for me too."

Something else came into mind too. How did the voting even turn out last night? I turned to Noah and asked, "Hey Noah, have you figure out how the voting last night was _supposed_ to go?"

Noah was quiet for a moment before he answered, "As a matter of fact, I did."

According to Noah, this was how the voting supposedly went:

Beth - Heather

Cody - Heather

Gwen - Heather

Heather - Beth

Leshawna - Heather

Lindsay - Beth

Noah - Beth

Trent - Heather

Total: Heather (5); Beth (3)

Majority: Heather

Eliminated: Beth

"You voted out Beth!?" I was shocked to learn that. First, he voted Owen out to keep me safe, and now he voted Beth out for whatever reason.

"Why did you vote her out?" Trent asked also confused. "Heather was an open option."

"Yeah, _why?_ " I glared at the bookworm.

"Truth be told, I had a feeling Heather was gonna walk out safe last night, given to how she's one of Chris' keys to higher ratings," Noah continued his explanation. "I decided to vote Beth out since she was one of Heather's followers. That way Heather's alliance would be weakened. And behold, my hypothesis was correct; Beth's gone."

"It didn't cross your mind to tell us this?" I asked a little confused.

"May I remind you, I was only hypothesizing my theory. There was no point in voting Heather if she was going to be safe. Honestly, I was surprised that my theory turned out correct."

"Then how did Beth get kicked off anyway?" Trent asked.

"The only way Beth could've been kicked off was if someone rigged the votes. My guess is that Chris pulled some strings to keep Heather in. He's a Gollum for ratings after all."

"Well then, looks like I have a lead on some answers finally," I spoke as I came up with my next objective; I headed for the cabin door.

"Where are you going?" Trent asked me.

"I have some errands to run."

Just as I opened the door, a pair of hands grabbed my shirt and hoisted me off the ground.

I got a better look at my hoister and noticed Duncan's face in front of mine. Judging by the look he was giving me, he wasn't in a bright mood. Then again, when was he ever bright?

My train of thoughts broke when he spoke. "What did you do with it!?" The delinquent snarled.

"Uhh… with… what?" I stammered.

Duncan snarled again "Don't play dumb with me, nerd. Where. Is. My. Knife!?"

I thought that I was gonna get pulverized. Luckily Trent got in between us before things get any ugly.

"Woah, Woah! Let's not get into any fights," he then turned to Duncan. "What did Cody even do to you?"

"That twerp didn't return me my knife like he promised to the day before yesterday!" Duncan yelled and pointed at me.

It was then that I remembered that I still had Duncan's knife. I was so caught up with preparing myself for that bear attack that I forgot to return the knife back.

"A knife?" Trent asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The knife?" I repeated. "Oh, right the knife!"

I quickly ran for my camping began and rummaged through it to see if the knife was still there.

I remembered putting it my bag underneath some already read comics after I was done using it.

I sighed in relief when I found it in the exact place. Grabbing it I walked back to Duncan and handed it to him. He swiped it out of my hands.

"Thanks again for letting me use it," I spoke sincerely. "It really saved my butt yesterday."

"Whatever," he merely rolled his eyes and walked away.

I closed the door once he left and turned back to Trent and Noah, both of whom had a curious look on their faces.

"Mind explaining why you had Duncan's knife?" Noah asked in his usual demeanour.

I rubbed the back of my neck feeling embarrassed. "I may have asked Duncan if he could lend me his knife."

"That's why you ran out the other day?" Trent asked.

"Yeah, I needed it to carve some spears. I had to defend myself from that bear yesterday."

"How did you know to prepare yourself for that bear?"

Man, I was really getting bombarded with questions with these two. "I just had a gut feeling the other day that something could happen yesterday," I continued. "I didn't know what it was, but I felt the need to prepare myself for whatever was to come."

Noah looked skeptical. "A gut feeling?" he repeated.

"Yes! Is it that hard to get?"

"I know what you're trying to say, Cody," Trent said. "But there seems to be more to this than just a gut feeling."

Now I was beginning to feel worried. I knew I had to give a real reason as to how I predicted the bear, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to give one almost immediately. I thought I would play it safe for a while and just focus on the game and then later think of an excuse. Then again, I might've forgotten to if I ever saved it for another day.

I struggled to find the right words that would sound believable, and fast too; Trent and Noah were giving me odd looks as I thought.

"Well, uh, it sort had something to do with the camping challenge we did some time ago," I finally spoke.

"The camping challenge?" Trent asked.

"Don't you remember what happened during that night? We almost got mauled by _two_ bears. Granted, the first bear happened to be Izzy playing a wild joke, but the second one was a real deal. That bear was a hungry carnivorous creature. It eats _meat_. I peed my pants twice thinking that I was gonna get mauled!" I almost snapped at that last part. I'm tending to snap at bad memories for some time now.

"And how does that relate to your prediction?" Noah asked.

"Well, I thought to myself: what if there are more bears out here? Chris said to watch out for bears that day. If we aren't careful enough in the woods, we might stumble upon more bears who are ready to dine. I became more wary of bears on this island since that event, so I decided to prepare myself in case another gets the jump on us. I guess it was bad luck that that scuba-diving-wearing bear found me and Noah yesterday."

Trent and Noah stood there regarding my words in silence. I waited, hoping that they would buy it.

After a while, Trent spoke. "Huh, you know it does make sense once you think about it," Oh thank god, they bought it. "I kind of forgot what happened that night after the canoe trip," he chuckled.

"You really forgot that you and everyone else were on the brink of death that night?" Noah asked the guitarist in disbelief. I was also in a little disbelief too.

Trent turned to Noah and said, "Well, I finally got Gwen. Hooking up with her made me really happy. It felt as if any bad memories I had were wiped out when I was with her. I love her a lot," Trent explained. He paused for a moment before turning back to me. "I almost forgot, thank you for hooking me up with her, man. That was really cool of you."

"No problem, dude," I replied. "Happy to help a friend in need."

"You know, it's funny. It seemed as if you've already competed in this contest and time travelled from the future to compete again." I wasn't sure if Trent was joking or being realistic.

"Time travelled?" I snorted. "Yeah right? C'mon, we know that's totally impossible," says the time traveller. "I may be a geek who wishes for powers like that, but even I know that's total BS."

"Yeah, that does sound crazy," Trent said. "But hey, we can dream can we?" Yeah, I think it's safe to say that Trent was joking around.

"Yeah, we sure can dream," I agreed. "H-Hey, I need to cut this conversation short. I got those errands to run ya know."

"You never said what those errands are anyway," Noah spoke again.

"Just going to find some answers is all," I said quickly. "But don't wanna waste any more time. See ya!" And with that I spun around, grabbed and opened the door, and quickly rushed outside before I get asked again, abruptly ending my conversation with those two.

Now that there out of the way, I was able to focus on my next primary objective. I went down the steps and headed out of the cabin area in search of Chris Mclean. If anyone knew what happened yesterday, Chris would be a likely candidate. He's the host after all and is likely in charge of how the votes turn out.

I don't mean any offence, but Trent and Noah were really bugging me with questions that I didn't want to answer. I should've known from the get-go that I wouldn't be able to play it safe for the whole duration of this contest, and that scares me because I'm not entirely used to logic over emotion.

Campers like Gwen, Trent, and Noah don't let emotions overcloud them (for the most part anyway). They instead use logic and observation to create a system of actions to follow through. What I was then was a complete opposite of what I am now. I never used logic to think of how something happened or how to fix that something. But instead, I let emotions overruled me no matter what the end results are. I guess I was like that because of the former optimistic nature I once adopted.

But as I grew older, I became more realistic and mature to find reason instead of jumping to an immediate conclusion. It's a change of pace for me that's for sure, but now my realism and reasoning was really being tested on my second round here. If anyone ever gets suspicious of me, I had to improvise and pick an elaborate excuse to get out scot-free. But I only had so many options to choose from anyway, or I just wasn't thinking outside of the box. That could be it.

My search for the host led me to the North-West beach of the island. I found Chris sitting on some beach chair relaxing while eating some sandwich. Even a simple sandwich would a whole lot better than Chef's food.

I made myself known. "CHRIS!?" I called out to him.

Chris heard me and turned to look at me. "Codster! What a surprise! Spreading any drama recently?"

I stopped when I was close enough to him. "Cut the crap, Chris. Now explain to me what happened last night!" I said already getting down to business.

"Well the Gopher's voted Beth out, you, Gwen, Trent, and Leshawna complained that Heather should've been eliminated, and I reminded you guys in my exquisite voice-"

"I know what happened last night. I don't have short-term memory loss. You know what I'm talking about. Why did Beth leave when it was pretty obvious that Heather got the majority votes?"

"Well, I told you last night already. Beth got more votes than Heather did."

"Because of you, that's why."

"Sorry dude, but I have no clue what you're talking about. I didn't do anything with the votes last night."

"Likely story."

"I didn't! I mean, yeah, I wanted to pull some strings to keep Heather in longer. Without her, my ratings are gonna drop. But I didn't; if I did then the producers would cut my check, and I wouldn't be able to buy enough hair gel for myself. I learned that from experience," How much money does Chris even have? "You have no idea how glad I was that Heather didn't get the boot."

I still didn't quite believe him, but I decided to go along for now. "Okay, so if you didn't tamper with the votes, then who did?"

"No one did. We had a camera in the booth in case anyone ever tries something like that. Besides, if someone gets caught doing it, they're disqualified from the competition."

"But that still doesn't excuse what everyone said last night."

"Look, man, I don't know what was going on inside your dingy little heads, but Gwen voted out Beth last night."

Wait, what? Did he say that Gwen's vote was for Beth? "...That not true. I know for a fact that Gwen's vote was for Heather."

"Whelp, she probably has short-term memory loss because her paper said 'Beth' on it. Not 'Heather'. The handwriting was pretty spot on from the last vote."

"Chris, Heather has been an irritation to Gwen since the beginning. There's no reason that Gwen would not vote for Heather last night," I then got another thought. "But even if Gwen voted for Beth, the vote would have only been four to four. Who was the fifth vote?"

"Why Beth was the fifth vote. Apparently, she voted herself out. Probably didn't wanna be around Heather any longer."

"And you didn't think to tell us that last night?" I glared at him.

"It didn't seem important at the time."

So according to Chris, the votes actually went like this:

Beth - Beth

Cody - Heather

Gwen - Beth

Heather - Beth

Leshawna - Heather

Lindsay - Beth

Noah - Beth

Trent - Heather

Total: Beth (5); Heather (3)

Eliminated: Beth

So the votes went the opposite way actually. The only question was how?

"Okay, let's say I do believe you for some bizarre reason. Can you at least tell me why you thought it was such a good idea to send that robotic bear after me?"

"Well the answer is plain and simple: I didn't."

I stood there confused. "What?"

"Look, man, if I sent Scuba Bear after you, then I'd be asking myself if I'm crazy and a freakin' psycho," I'm sure there's an easy answer to that. He continued though. "If I sent that bear after you, you would've gotten mauled and removed from the game. Without you, my ratings will go down the roof!"

Again, he doesn't care about me, or anyone else's well being. Without his prize campers that spreads the most drama, then that would mean fewer ratings.

"Then why did that bear even tried to maul me anyway? He had a look that was ready to kill!"

"Well if you still wanna be picky about it, Scuba Bear was merely designed to scare you guys. Maybe give you a scratch, but nothing on the level to get any of you removed. Still though, if I was allowed to add any challenges that _totally_ put you guys on the brink of death, I totally would." He grinned at that last part.

Is he talking crazy? Wouldn't he get a pile of lawsuits if he does that? It's as if he wanted this show to be Despair Island or something like that.

"That still doesn't answer my question." I pushed forward.

"Scuba Bear's favourite food for some reason are blueberries. At least, use to be until you destroyed him." Chris was slowly getting frustrated. "And Destroying Scuba Bear, so not cool. The producers will probably have to pay up for that, you know."

"It was in self-defence goddammit, and stop going off topic. I need answers." I was getting frustrated because this was getting annoying.

"Fine, fine! Scuba Bear was probably gonna kill you because you must've had some blueberries on you or whatever. Nothing stands between him and his blueberries. Seriously, though, do you have any idea how much Scuba Bear cost to rent?"

"Goodbye!" I spun and stalked away from Chris. There was no point talking to him any longer. I wasn't getting any answers out of him. At least ones that I was looking for.

"Your welcome by the way!" I heard Chris called back at me. Was he expecting me to give him a thank you or something? He's not getting one from me anytime soon, that's for sure.

With Chris out of the way, it was time for me to head back to my castmates.

However, even though I didn't get the answers that I was looking for, it did clear out some duds. It also got me to put a few more puzzle pieces into place.

Chris said that he _didn't_ tamper with the votes. If he did, then no paycheck for him, meaning he can't buy any more hair care products (even though he probably has a lot already). The last two votes for Beth were written in Gwen's and Beth's handwriting, and no one else can match their handwriting.

As for the bear attack, Scuba bear wasn't after _me_ , he was after the delicious blueberries I had in my back pocket. I can understand why, and that's because blueberries are delicious; I ate them with Trent and Noah last night. But I never picked up any blueberries, and I haven't gone near any blueberry bushes on this island.

Chris may not have been the perpetrator behind those events, but that meant someone else was. And I'm gonna find out who before anything else happens.

* * *

 **First off, I like to thank the _AnonymousBrowser_ for giving me the idea on Cody's excuse and what he should say. That means a lot man.**

 **And Secondly, today marks the 1st year anniversary of when I first published this story. I posted TDCR on July 14, 2017, as a completely different kind of fic. But instead, I changed it into something far more better to myself and everyone else. I still can't believe that this is being considered as one of the most popular TD fanfics on the internet. That's fucking insane.**

 **I got 338 reviews, 230 favourites, and 235 followers. Wanna know what's also crazy? TDCR is the 14th most favourited and the 5th most followed fanfic on the site! Even to this day, I'm still asking myself how my story became this popular? Users have been PMing me how I became popular too. And I just respond by saying this: I don't know.**

 **I know I'm sounding pretty corny as I'm writing this, but this is honestly an achievement I was not expecting. I'm attempting to see-through a Cody time travelling fic that other users failed to complete. Even though I'll be heading to College this September, I will _NOT_** , **I repeat, I will _NOT_** **cancel this midway through.**

 **I wanna give another big shout out to _PurpleBandit3000_ for inspiring me to write my own TD fanfic. Thank you bra, you are one sweet guy.**

 **Again, happy anniversary readers, and thank you so much for reading this story.**

 **In the meantime, I have a World Cup Final to watch. It's gonna be France vs. Croatia. I'm rooting for the former.**

 **Till next time, favourite, follow, and review. Any critique is perfectly fine. I'll see you next time.**


	21. Chapter 20 - Kitchen Boss

**Well, it's that time again. The time when I upload an all-new chapter of TD: CR. An all-new epic and extreme chapter of TD: CR. Okay, well I don't I'd call it extreme. You decide for yourself.**

 **By the way, thank you for being patient with this chapter. I thought July and August were gonna be the months where I focus on my story a lot more, but that wasn't the case it seemed. Whatever, I'm back now, and I'm here to give you a chapter.**

 **Now go and read it!**

* * *

I manage to survive nineteen days on this island. The last challenge was a complete game changer — for me anyways. It still feels upsetting to me that Beth was eliminated instead of Heather. If the latter were gone instead then it would've lifted a lot of stress and pressure off of us all. There's nothing I can do about it now, though, except to just move on.

Still, things are gonna be a heck of a lot different from here on out. I finally entered uncharted territory at last. I'm now in part of the game that I wasn't in the first time. Starting with today's challenge: The Cooking Challenge.

My team lost the first time because Owen ate the ribs and the Flambe dessert thingy that Lindsay and Gwen made burst into ashes. With Owen gone, the ribs could be taste tested for real this time. Also, I can warn Lindsay and Gwen not to make whatever that cake is. If only Gwen's willing to listen to me.

I'm both feeling excited and nervous to take part in future challenges. Some of them like the bike races looked cool. Other challenges like the torture challenge looked scary. Who knows what dreaded torture I'll have to endure. But that's only if I make it past merge. How far is the merge anyway? Four more challenges I think?

Whatever, that's in the future, and this is the present. Present first, future after.

By the way, no nightmares plagued my sleep last night.

As I step out of the cabin for my morning shower, I hear some yelling coming from next door.

"GROSS!" I overhear Duncan yelling from the Bass cabin. "Harold! Stop leaving your crusty underwear everywhere!" I decide to approach closer to the other cabin, hoping to hear what was going on.

"That's not mine," Harold speaks next.

"Dude, it has your name stitched on it," I hear DJ's voice.

"Whatever. I'm gonna take a shower."

Crap! Harold's coming out. I quickly scamper back to my cabin, making it look I just stepped out.

Harold then emerges out of the Bass cabin and sees me.

"Morning, Harold," I pretend like I wasn't eavesdropping. "How are you doing?"

"Hey, Cody," Harold says back. "I was just about to take a shower."

"Me too. Looks like we have similar schedules," I say casually.

"I guess. See ya," And then he walks past me leaving me to think what else happened the first time.

Harold's hygiene issue is a problem on the Killer Bass like the last time. He constantly leaves his underwear lying around disgusting Duncan, Geoff, DJ, and the Bass girls. Whenever someone interrogates him about it, he denies that they're his. Probably because of his pride or something.

The male Bass Trio (That's what I'm calling Duncan, Geoff, and DJ) are gonna get back at him by pulling some pranks on him. I hate some of the pranks that the trio did. Like when they had Harold wake up stark naked outside in front of the girls. Then the three used a fishing line to rip away Harold's underwear, to Harold's consternation. Yet, Bridgette still gets with Geoff despite taking part in them. Why?

I hate at how far the trio went with their pranks. I could bash at the three for what they did, but Harold's also in the wrong. I'd be disgusted too if my roommate leaves all of his dirty clothes lying around. Unless I'm rooming with a hot chick then that's sweet.

If Harold thinks that he's better than the trio, then he should've just admitted his mistake and not make a fool of himself. Perhaps the pranks would go on at a more minimal rate and be more harmless pranks. At least from Geoff and DJ; I doubt Duncan will ever take it down a notch with his pranks.

I know what I must do now. I ran and caught up to Harold just before he enters the bathroom.

"Hey, Harold. Hold up for a bit," I call him getting him to stop. He turned around giving me his attention.

"What is it?" he asks.

"I overheard what was going on in your cabin. Are you really leaving your undies lying around?" I asked.

"Of course not! They probably just someone else's. Duncan's and his buddies are just blaming it on me," he denies.

I sigh feeling annoyed. "Harold. If DJ said that your name was stitched on them, then that means they're yours. And I doubt either of them or anyone here for that matter, brought a sewing kit just to sew your name on them," Harold would probably say that, so I just said it to express the doubt of that possibility.

"So what if they're mine? They're just jealous of my mad skill is all," now Harold's becoming stubborn.

"What does that-... You know what, nevermind. The point is if you're doing something that makes them feel disgusted, then just admit your mistake. If you don't bad things will happen to you."

"Why should I? Duncan's been bullying me since the beginning."

"Geoff and DJ are Duncan's best friends. Just admit your at fault, and Geoff and DJ will forgive you. And I'm sure that they'll convince Duncan to tone down his pranks."

"Tone down or stop?" the nerd pushed.

I know Duncan wouldn't stop, but tone down is better than hell-of-a-lot. "He'll stop," I lied.

Harold was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Fine. I'll admit my mistake."

"And you'll stop leaving your underwears lying around?" I pressed on.

"And I'll stop leaving my underwears lying around," Harold replies sighing.

"Good. Trust me, it'll benefit you," I finished.

I walked passed the nerd and into the bathroom. Now that that's been dealt with, I can finally take my morning shower.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I don't like it when the victim has to admit to a bully," I said with honesty. "But in this case, Duncan's the victim. If Harold admits to him and promises to not leave his underwear lying down, then he'll be the better of the two. I just hope Harold goes along with what I said," for some reason, I have a feeling that wasn't gonna be the case.

 **Confessional - Harold**

"As if I'm gonna admit to Duncan of all people," Harold said stubbornly. "If I admit, then I'm gonna be sucking up to Duncan and he'll be the winner of our fuse. Besides, I'm already way better than him. I have mad skills and he doesn't. If I don't admit, then I'll show him how strong and awesome I really am. What can he do to me anyway?" he had no idea what was coming.

* * *

After I was done taking my shower, I got my clothes on and met with my team for breakfast. If one can even call it breakfast. The loudspeaker soon interrupts our quiet atmosphere.

"All campers meet me at the beach in ten!" Chris announce through the loudspeaker.

" _Here we go,"_ I thought.

My castmates and I went to the beach after finishing our 'breakfast'. We found Chris there waiting for us. Once we gathered around, the host clears his throat and begins to explain today's challenge.

"Today's challenge will test your minds, your teamwork and your skills in the kitchen," called it. I knew today's the cooking challenge. It's bizarre if it were replaced with some other challenge. Chris continues. "You'll be cooking a three-course meal and serving it to me for tasting. The winners get a reward. The losers will send somebody home.

"Each team will appoint a head chef to create the theme of the meal and to oversee the cooking. To cook, you need ingredients," well obviously. What else would you use? Liquid nitrogen? "Every morning, a truck brings us food. Today's task starts there."

For some reason, a truck came out from the water and onto the beach. And for some other odd reason, a dolphin was driving it. I'm so weirded out.

"Is that a… dolphin?" Leshawna asked, weirded out too.

Chris motions to go and we run to the truck for dibs. The Killer Bass got their first, and I overheard Geoff suggesting they do an Italian theme. They grab what they need before my team.

"Head Chef! Called it!" Heather announces to her team. Is there even such a thing as a 'Head Chef'?

I really want to protest against her being Head Chef, but I can't think of any strong opposing points on the spot. That and I don't know anything about cooking and being a chef. With this in mind, I decided to let her be head. Just this once, though.

If only Owen's still here with us. I could've made him Head Chef instead of Heather. He's an excellent cook. After Total Drama had ended, Owen turned to DJ and the two worked together to open a chain of restaurants across Canada. DJ's mother also assisted the two, and after a few years serving Owen's delicious gourmet meals, the duo's restaurants were one of the most top notched in the country.

This challenge could've shown Owen's potential in being an awesome chef. Instead, it showed the audience how much of an eater he is.

Anyways, we've got our needed ingredients. Then, Heather begins to list off who's on which. "Leshawna - mangoes, Cody - pineapples, Lindsay - macadamias, Trent - molasses, Gwen - tomatoes, and Noah - meat." And she doesn't give herself something to carry. Same old Heather.

We grab what we were told to grab before hightailing to the mess hall. The pineapples weren't difficult to carry. However, I swear I saw Noah struggling with the meat.

After arriving at our cooking station inside the kitchen, Heather begins to bark more orders at us. This time what we're supposed to make.

"Gwen, Lindsay. You're on the citrus macadamia upside down cake flambé. Trent, you and Noah are on ribs. Leshawna and Cody, you two are on pineapple skewers and mango dip." Heather commands.

"Girl, let me handle the appetizers," Leshawna spoke. "I know how to make a pineapple chunky that would melt the sauce off the devil."

"Oh really? Well, that's so great. But since I'm head chef, we're going to stick to my plan. And my plan is pineapples with sticks through them, got it?"

Before Leshawna denies her request, I step in, voicing my suggestion. "Before we even start, maybe we should rethink our dessert."

"And why should we, geek?" Heather glares at me.

"Aren't we supposed to light up the flambe cake with literal fire? What if something goes wrong and it burns up?"

"Nothing's gonna happen," Heather replies arrogantly. "I know so. I made them all the time back home and nothing happens to them."

"But what if something happens this time?" I try to reason with her. "In my opinion, we should do something everyone likes. How about a chocolate cake?" If there's a dessert everyone loves, it's anything to do with chocolate.

"Well, if you must know, _you_ aren't Head Chef. _I'm_ Head Chef. And I say we're doing a flambe cake. Period."

Welp, I tried reasoning with her. If she gets her face burned up like last, she'll be getting a big old 'I told you so' from yours truly.

We've already wasted a lot of time already. We need to get things moving now. I join Leshawna at our station to make the pineapple appetizer — or whatever it's called.

"Still think we should've done a chocolate cake," I grumble with a pout. I turn to Leshawna and ask her, "Why are we even allowing her to boss us around?"

"Oh trust me, String Bean. I ain't allowing her to boss me. She'll get what she gets soon," Leshawna tells me.

"Okay then…" I don't understand her answer, but I'm gonna leave it at that. "So what do we do now?" I ask while staring at the pineapples in front of us.

"Just follow my lead. I make appetizers with pineapples all my life. Just don't let it drip on my skin. I'm allergic to them," Leshawna tells me.

"How do you handle pineapples anyway if you're allergic to them?" I chuckle slightly.

"Ever hear of gloves, boy?" Well, she got me there.

We decided that I should do the cutting while Leshawna does the other works on the pineapples. Cutting them's a little difficult for me, but I'm managing.

I glance back at Leshawna and ask her, "Had you spoken with Gwen yet?"

Leshawna stops what she's doing. "Sorry, Skinny Bone. But Gwen ain't being easy to chat with. She's being too stubborn as a mule when I bring you up," she says looking apologetic.

"This is ridiculous. Gwen honestly has no reason to hate me," I groaned. "Can't she take a hint that I'm a harmless average geek?"

"Hey, she just likes to be alone. Not much of a talker," Leshawna defends her.

"She seems to enjoy talking with you and Trent," I point out. "Besides, what's wrong with talking with the rest of us? At least some of us."

"Hey, we all have our own people we're comfortable with. You talk with White Girl a lot and you seem to enjoy her presence a lot."

"Which White Girl? There's a few of them," I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Lindsay," she clarifies before continuing. "And you seem to hate being around Turkey for some time."

I know that she's referring to Noah. She must be talking about when he tried to get Lindsay voted off to keep Izzy safe. And maybe also his cynical comments and the way he acts.

"That's hypocritical coming from you," I stop slicing the pineapples to cross my arms.

"What the heck you mean I'm being hypocritical?" Leshawna asks bewildered.

"You, along with Trent and Gwen agreed with Noah that Lindsay should leave. I was upset with all of you then, not just Noah. You even said it yourself that you'd take crazy over stupid any day. And don't lie to me and say that you enjoy Noah's cynical persona. Everyone's annoyed by his witty comments. Except for Gwen, she's a goth and is also sarcastic at times. And besides, I'm getting over that incident."

Leshawna sheepishly coughed with her eyes looking away. "Well… yeah, I guess you have a point. You see-"

"EXCUSE ME!" We get interrupted mid-conversation by the sound of the self-proclaimed 'Head Chef'. We glance at Heather who's glaring at us looking pissed. "What are you two doing? Don't you know we have a challenge to do?"

"We _are_ working, Heather," I tell her. "We're just having a friendly conversation."

"Whatever. By the way, Cody, you're pineapple slices are uneven. Switch places with Leshawna right now."

Switch places?! Why? The pineapples look fine to me. And Leshawna doesn't have gloves with her. How's she supposed to work with her allergy?

"Oh no, I ain't switching stations. I already doin' fine where I'm at," the Soul Sista shoots back.

"And the pineapples look fine," I tell her gesturing at the slices. "There's nothing uneven with them. They look just fine."

"Oh I'm sorry, but I didn't get to be _Head Chef_ because of poor presentation," Heather sneers.

"No. You get to be Head Chef because you called it," Leshawna shoots back again, which was nicely played. "Besides, who you think you're foolin' with this crispy white apron power trip you on?"

"Are you gonna be a team player or not?" Heather argues back.

"Oh I'm a team player alright but I'm also allergic to pineapples."

Heather, looking like she had enough, shouts, "Just get slicing! NOW!"

I honestly didn't want to do this, but Heather will only leave once we do switch places. So, I reluctantly gave my knife to Leshawna and we switch spots.

"Thank you," Heather says before leaving us.

I start filling a bowl of pineapple slices and Leshawna starts to slice some more. I then hear her mouthing Heather to go to hell. If there's one person on the Gopher's that makes us feel uncomfortable, then it's Heather all right.

Things seemed to go smoothly until some pineapple juice squirts out from the pineapple onto Leshawna's arms. She flinches when the juice lands on her before her skin starts forming some rashes. She starts scratching her arms to alleviate herself.

"Yo! What do you recommend I do about _this_?" She asks Heather showing her the rashes.

"Yo! I recommend you scratch _after_ we win. Get back to work."

Then hell once again breaks loose. Leshawna attempts to maul Heather, but Lindsay and Gwen try to hold her back from doing so. I stood behind them, hoping Leshawna breaks free and mauls the Queen Bee.

"Aren't you gonna help?" Gwen glares at me.

"Hey, Heather has to show some kindness around here," I tell her.

Eventually, Leshawna manages to calm down and returns to work. Heather turns to Gwen and Lindsay, teaching them how to light up the cake, which is supposedly a step in making whatever that is. Why can't we make a chocolate cake? That's totes better.

Wait, is this the part where you-know-what happens? I step closer to get a closer look at what's probably gonna happen.

Heather lit up the cake, but then, out of nowhere, the dessert blows up right in her face! Lindsay and Gwen managed to take cover luckily.

She got out a mirror and, " **GAH!** " Heather screams in shock. Gwen and I begin laughing at the Queen Bee's misfortune.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"Whelp, I'm not gonna say 'I told you so,' but… I TOLD YOU SO!" I said before laughing again.

 **Confessional - Gwen**

"I actually added a lot more gasoline than what was instructed," Gwen revealed while smirking. "Serves her right if you ask me."

* * *

"Ugh, you imbecile! Lindsay, hand me my makeup bag!" Heather instructs. Lindsay grabs her bag and tosses it to Heather. However, Leshawna bumps her out of the way and catches it herself.

"Gwen!" Leshawna says tossing the bag to Gwen. She catches it before tossing it to Trent. Then he throws it to me and I catch it.

It was a game of monkey in the middle, and Heather was the monkey. This is so much fun.

I notice Noah opening the freezer door. "Throw it in here!" he tells us.

I through the bag at Lindsay who was also standing next to the fridge. She fumbles with the bag before she got hold of it.

"Lindsay! Throw it into the fridge!" I tell her.

"No! Hand it over!" Heather orders her.

Lindsay looks conflicted. She's looking between the two of us thinking who to follow. Her supposed BFF, or her crush.

For a moment I thought she was gonna hand it back to Heather. But she didn't! She disobeys her and throws the bag into the freezer. Heather groans before rushing inside after it. Acting quick, we close the door behind her, locking her inside the freezer.

"Hey! You can't do this!" Heather shouts from inside. "I'm Head Chef!"

"Do you think Heather's really mad at us?" Lindsay asks.

"I will destroy you!" Heather yells again, pounding on the freezer door. As if that's gonna free her.

"She'll get over it," Leshawna tells the Bombshell. "Girl needs to learn how to chill," Burn baby! That was another nice one from Leshawna!

"Only one hour left!" Chris announces. "Better hustle people."

This is bad for us. We barely made any progress with the dishes that we're making, and we don't have much time left. Now that Heather's out of the way, for now, our A game can be stepped up.

Leshawna took leadership and reassigned us to our roles. Lindsay and Gwen with the desert, Noah and Trent on the ribs, and I'm gonna continue working with Leshawna on the appetizers.

Hang on, Trent's with us? I turn my gaze at the musician just in case my eyes aren't being deceived. Sure enough, he's there with Noah just fine. Last time he was knocked unconscious after getting hit by a crate from Owen. I guess it didn't happen this time, not like I wanted it to happen.

Anyway, back to the challenge. It feels like Mission Impossible in here. We scramble from place to place getting whatever ingredients we need for our respective dishes. When it was time to bake, we put the oven on high temperature for our food to bake faster. We watch as our food gets cooked, making sure they don't get burned. Luckily, our food came out fine.

Everything got done with mere moments to spare as Chris signals us to stop what we're doing.

"Time's up, chefs!" Chris announces. "Time to see what you've cooked up for me!"

We set our finished foods on the table admiring it. Our buffet looks totally delicious. I'm really tempted to grab a rib piece to try, but it's only gonna get my teammates to hate me.

"We might just win this thing yet, ya'll," Leshawna says. "Alright, let's do this."

We carry our foods to the main table where Chris is sitting in. There's three table present. Our own table for our foods, a Bass table for their foods, and Chris's eating table. He has his table decorated to look like something out of first-class. It had a candle and some weird stone ornament thingy in the corner.

" _What is that thing?"_ I ask mentally to myself. It looks strangely familiar, but I can't place a hand on it.

"Welcome everyone to Total Drama's very first Top Chef judging ceremony!" Chris announces from his seat. "To start things off, let's taste what the Killer Bass made for appetizers."

The Killer Bass comply before bringing out their appetizer which is an Antipasto Salad. Once placed, Chris begins to dig in on the food. After a few bites, he gives the Bass a thumbs up. "Delicious. The Antipasto is great! 8 out of 10!" The Bass react positively from the score.

"Alright, Screaming Gophers, bring out your appetizer," he said before Leshawna and I put our pineapple skewers in front of him. He took one of them and ate the whole thing. "Tastes neat. The only wish is if it looks cooler to look at. Seven points," If only Chris knew the amount of trouble we had from making these.

It's now time for the main course now. Chris calls for the Killer Bass and they hand him a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Chris digs in and eats the entire meal. He gives them a thumbs up and scores it an eight.

Now it's our turn to present our main course: the ribs. Luckily, Owen's not here to unintentionally sabotage our course. Like with the spaghetti, Chris devours the whole meal. "A bit overcooked, but still awesome! 9 out of 10!" My team and I cheer at our score in delight.

The scores are now neck and neck. It all comes down to the desserts. Duncan and Courtney offer Chris cornbread for dessert. He then cuts a piece off and eats it. "Eh… six," he tells them. Duncan and Courtney look down, feeling disappointed.

It all comes down to our dessert. If we have a good dessert, then we'll be the winners. Lindsay brings out her's and Gwen's dessert for Chris: The flambe upside-down cake. I'm impressed that they were able to make a new one on the spot.

"Now _this_ looks like a winner," Chris says before bringing down his fork onto the cake. Then, out of nowhere, the cake poofs into bits, making us jump.

"That ain't good," Leshawna says.

Despite this, Chris took a burnt bit into his mouth before immediately begins hacking and coughing. Eventually, he spits it out cringing from the taste. "What the heck is this!?" The host asks looking upset.

"It's Heather's recipe," Lindsay explains before jumping in shock. "Oh my gosh! She's still in the fridge," she then makes a b-line to the freezer to release her.

"What? 'Girl was making everyone trip," Leshawna says in an attempt to defend our actions.

"Oh, I hear that all right," Chris says while grumbling.

A few seconds later, Heather emerges out from the kitchen. We gasp immediately after laying eyes on her, including Chris. She was all blue from top to bottom. Literally blue! Her skin actually changed colour somehow!

"You guys are so dead!" Heather growl at us while shivering before turning to Chris. "Is it over?"

"It's overall right," he begins. "Because your dessert sucks, the Killer Bass are the winners!"

The Bass members cheer in joy from the announcement. The Screaming Gophers sulk in defeat, except Heather who's fuming in anger. I told them that we shouldn't have done that flambe cake thingy. We could've made a chocolate cake or something else on that level of goodness, but no, Heather had to be bossy and arrogant.

"Why do we keep losing you guys!?" Heather scolds at us, thinking we're at fault here. She then turns her attention to something else. "And by the way, what is that?" She points at the weird stone thing on the table.

"That thing?" Leshawna says before grabbing it. "Found it in my backpack this morning. Don't know what it was, though, but I thought I use it for decorations in the last minute."

Chris took a quick look at it before saying, "That doesn't look like it belongs here."

Leshawna glance back at the object. "Why? Look's nothing dangerous to me," she says while shrugging her shoulders.

"Hold on. Isn't that doll from that other island?" Heather suddenly asks.

"Wait! From Boney Island!?" Chris jumps from his seat. "The deadliest island in Muskoka? The one I specifically said not to take anything from or you'll be cursed?"

"Wait… This doll thingy is from Boney Island!?" Leshawna yells. "I didn't know that! I found it in my backpack this morning!"

"Well you must be suffering from short-term memory loss because, and clearly, you too it off grounds," Chris glares at the Soul Sista.

"I'll have you know I didn't pick anything off the island the entire time I was there! I never even seen this thing until this morning!"

"I can vouch for her," Gwen steps in. "I was with her throughout the entire stay. Not once did I see her picking that thing up," Most of that's true. I was with Gwen during half of the time. But even I know for a fact that Leshawna wouldn't pick something up that looks creepy and bizarre looking. She's a smart girl.

"Well, it doesn't really matter who picked it up," Heather butted in. "You, Leshawna, better put that thing back or so help me."

"You can't tell me what to do, Daddy Girl," Leshawna yells in her face before changing her look to fear. "But… yeah. I better get rid of this," she says before running out of the Mess Hall.

After some silence, Chris says, "Well that happened. But it doesn't change the fact that the Killer Bass are today's winners!"

The Bass' cheer again in victory. I watch them celebrating their victory, before noticing Harold in his pyjamas. Why's he in his PJ's? Don't tell me he didn't take my advice from this morning!

"And as promised, the Killer Bass will be enjoying their reward tonight, which is a five-star dinner under the stars!" And yet again, the Bass' cheers, and again, we sulk.

This is the third challenge in a row that we lost to the other team. A few more time like this and then we'll suffer the same fate as Team Victory from season three.

* * *

 **Confessional - Lindsay**

"Did you see what we did to Heather back there?" she said whilst grinning. "It was, like, so funny seeing her trapped in that fridge," she began to laugh wildly.

 **Confessional - Cody**

"I told Heather how we should've done a chocolate cake," I said with my arms crossed. "I'm an expert in chocolate cakes; I made them a lot back home for breakfast dessert, lunch dessert, and dinner dessert. But no, she had to be so pushy for that flambe thingy. And she had the nerve to blame us for our loss. It's her fault that our team lost," I stopped my rant to catch my breath. "I don't care if Leshawna cursed our team by accident. Heather's going home.

* * *

Leshawna?! Are you serious?" I yell in shock at Trent in our cabin.

When we were dismissed back to our cabins, Noah, Trent, and I began to discuss who we should vote off. Trent uttered a name that I was not expecting to hear.

"I'm sorry, Cody. But if she's the reason why our team is constantly losing then she has to go," Trent says.

"That's so ludicrous and you know that," I said before turning to Noah. "Come on, man. Tell him he's sounding ludicrous."

"I agree. I doubt what Chris says is true and that doll's a total fake. Besides, even if our team's quote-unquote cursed, Leshawna didn't do it. You heard her. She didn't even take it from Boney Island." Noah says.

"But what if something happened back on that island?" Trent begins to hyperventilate. "What if something happened to Leshawna that drove her mind too picking that thing up? What if the island haunted her into doing so?! What if they made her into some puppet to pick that doll up?! What if whatever's there on the island wants to make our team's lives a living hell by making us lose all the time?! What if that's what happened you guys?! Can't you see it happening?!"

That has gotta be the most ridiculous thing I ever heard Trent tell me. Maybe even more than when he thought Gwen was cheating on him back on Total Drama Action.

Noah and I are staring at him bemused and bored. "How can you possibly imagine something as ridiculous as that?" Noah asks.

"Well, it could be that. I'm just saying!"

"I can't believe you, Trent," I threw my hands up. "Heather's being a total bitch and a control freak, and you rather have Leshawna gone because she's carrying some artifact that's supposedly 'cursed'? Your own friend? Gwen's best friend?"

"If it means getting rid of that curse then yes!"

"You are being hopeless. You know that right?" Noah groans. "Look, how about we just eliminate Heather now and just get rid of Leshawna next time? Would that make you happy?"

"But what if the curse continues to endure even if Leshawna's eliminated next time? What if something bad happens to us? What if we get mailed by a freaking bear?!"

"That was _one_ time only! And that was an animatronic that time," I tell him. "Besides, I managed to get out of it Scott free."

"You mean _we_ manage to get out Scott free, right?" Noah says.

"That's what I meant."

"I don't know guys. I don't think voting off Heather is gonna solve anything. We should do this for the sake of all of us," Trent says still not convinced.

"Now you're being insane," Noah says.

"I'm being realistic."

The air went quiet for a few moments before I made a move. "I need some air," I said before turning around and heading out the door.

I retract my original thought from yesterday. Trent very rarely uses logic over emotions.

* * *

 **Confessional - Cody**

"When is Trent going to start thinking before jumping to conclusions?!" I complained. This was one of my shorter confessions.

* * *

It's elimination time, and things have gone just as I expected: Chris explained the rules, tells us that we're to never come back after being eliminated, he announces who safe, I get my marshmallow, and the bottom two were left.

The bottom two are Leshawna and Heather. I really want the latter to be gone. Though, it seems like it's not gonna be the case tonight.

"Heather and Leshawna, it's down to you two," Chris begins. "Whoever doesn't get this last marshmallow must immediately walk the Dock of Shame and leave on the Boat of Losers… forever!"

Leshawna's looking nervous while Heather's looking angry.

"The final marshmallow goes to…"

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Heather."

I knew it. I didn't want it to happen, but it safely did. Leshawna's chopped from the competition.

"Shouldn't have brought that idol with you," Heather tells her smugly.

"I told ya. I didn't take that thing with me," Leshawna says

"Whatever. boat of Losers is that way, you know."

Leshawna stood up and sadly walks away, after saying her goodbyes.

"See ya, Gwen," she hugs Gwen.

"I'll miss you," Gwen sadly hugs back.

They let go and she says goodbye to a few more of us. When she got in front of me, I stop her and say, "If it makes you feel better, I didn't vote you out."

"Thanks, String Beans. That _does_ make me feel better," she smiles. "Welp, see ya."

She walks across the docks before stepping onto the boat. And just like that, she's gone.

"That's it for tonight," Chris said. "And you might want to burn some sage to get rid of any lingering curse vibes."

Again, there's no curse. At least I hope so.

I can't believe that Leshawna of all people got eliminated, and especially this early on. I thought she'd get past the merge with the rest of us.

But it does raise another question: how did that idol fall into her hands anyway?

Now I had to do some more digging for answers. This is just great.

* * *

 **Hope you like that chapter. This chapter was really tough to write because Cody wasn't in the original episodes. I had to find ideas on what to write and how to set up my sentences. Now that I think of it, this might be the case for future chapters. Gotta find ideas, guys.**

 **Now, few things before I close this off. Firstly, the first few episodes of _Total Dramarama_ had officially been aired/leaked. I watched the first two episodes of it: ****_Venthalla,_ and _Duck Duck Juice_. I thought that the first two episodes were cool. I like it. It was cute, funny and were easier to watch than any episodes of Teen Titans Go. I'm just waiting until Cody gets his episode to shine. If the rest of the episodes are gonna be like that then I think _Dramarama_ will be a passable spin-off.**

 **Secondly, I went ahead and rewrote the first four chapters of my story, including the prologue. I'm gonna be doing the same for some of my other chapters as well. I was cringing at the sight of my old writing from last year. But since then, my writings had improved, which gives me a good opportunity to rework some of my previous chapters.**

 **Thirdly, I am officially in College right now. Which one, it's high-end, but take a guess. Now that I'm in College, I'm not gonna update that much now. Then again, I hadn't made an update in the last month and a half. Which leads to the fourth and final thing.**

 **Finally, I want to expand my writing to other franchises. I don't want to just write for the Total Drama series all the time, even if I'm a die-hard fan of said series. Recently, I finally got into watching _The Loud House,_ and that became my new all-time favourite cartoon to watch. It's so amazing, it's one of the best in recent years. You're probably gonna see a Loud House fanfic on my page sometime in the future. I'm also slowly working on an all-new _Winx Club_ story, but it's taking longer than I originally thought. But whatever, that's something different. There are some other story's I'm working on, but I'm gonna tell you about them at a later date.**

 **Anyway, that's all I have to say. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Favourite, follow and review if you will. I'm looking for some critical feedback at my writing.**

 **See ya again soon.**


	22. Chapter 21 - The Secrets of Thalia

**Remember when I said in chapter 19 that you'll be seeing a total OOC Cody? Well, I was wrong. What you're about read is an character for Cody that is so OOC, you're going to start questioning my writing methods. So brace yourselves.**

* * *

I'm feeling a rough surface underneath me, again. This feeling could only mean either A) I fell off my bunk in the middle of the night without realizing, or B) I'm dreaming again. I slowly begin opening my eyes to see that I'm wearing my everyday clothing, I'm on a hard surface, and I'm in some white void.

"Dammit," I mumble, seeing this to be some dream. But what kind of dream is this?

I get back on my feet before looking around at my surroundings. There's just white in every direction. No really, it's all just white going on forever. I'm not floating at least; gravity's a thing in this dream thankfully. Though, this has got to be the strangest dream I'm ever, well, dreaming. "Hello!? Am I alone!?" I call out to whomever else might be here. I can't even hear my echo.

Maybe it's best if I, well, walk for who knows how long until I get somewhere? Or at least until I wake up? I doubt pinching myself is going to startle me awake.

It looks kind of weird when I'm walking like this. Because this is a white void I'm in, it almost feels as if I'm walking in place. I even lost track of where I initially began. Good thing this is a dream. Otherwise, I'd be lost with no way out. Think what you want, but it feels like I've been walking for hours on end.

Then, all of a sudden, I notice something out of the corner of my eye. I glance to get a better view of whatever it is, a little off in the distance. Is that what I'm supposed to find? Even if it's a trap, it won't kill me. It took, but after some fast paced jogging I manage to arrive at my next point.

It's a small bedside table. And on the table is a book. It's dark green, half the size of a typical book. There isn't even a title on the cover or back page.

Perhaps this book has some message I'm supposed to read? Or maybe a story that my conscious is offering me. Maybe a collection of short stories for me to read until I wake up? Whatever's in this book, I guess I'm supposed to read it.

I spun around before sitting down on the night table since there's nowhere else to sit. I slowly open the book and begin to read the contents inside.

" _Well, Diary…-"_ I immediately stop after reading the first two words inside. This book is a diary! Not a book. But this only forms new questions: Whose diary is this? And should I read it?

Don't remind me and say that I shouldn't read this diary because I already know that. I've watched a lot of Treehouse TV cartoons to know that indulging in other people's privacy is wrong. The only thing is that this is a dream. Besides the table, there is nothing here in this void to fill in the gap of my boredom until I wake up. And how do I even know this diary belongs to someone else? This could be my conscious diary that my brain somehow developed.

On the other hand, this diary might be holding something that I've been searching for some time. Whatever's in this diary could be beneficial to my well being. All these thoughts roaming in my head are making it more difficult to resist reading it.

I gave in and opened the book again. And so, I begin reading the first page of self-inscribed thoughts, written in blue ink.

* * *

 _Well, Diary, here we are. We're officially on reality tv. I still can't believe that I decided to come here. You probably don't know what's going on since I only brought you recently. Am I right?_

 _Yeah, I think I'm right. I'll tell you what going on._

 _So my brother and I made a bet that I couldn't survive competing on reality tv. There's this new show called Total Drama Island that we both discovered, and he says I'd lose my sanity after only a few episodes. I told him he was ridiculous, so I signed myself up to prove him wrong. I guess this gives me a good opportunity to win money for that art school I want to apply. Plus, my mother's mortgage needs to get paid also._

 _The ads for this show were showing a five-star resort to be where the game's being taken place. I couldn't tell then if the promos were stretching the truth or not, but that didn't stop me from looking forward to this resort._

 _Things were entirely off to a great start when I arrived. I finally learned that the promos_ were _stretching the truth. They were doing more than stretching the truth. They were outright_ lying _about the whole resort thing. Now I'm stuck on some supposed 'camp' in the middle of Muskoka. I'd give the host (whose name is Chris mind you) a piece of my mind, but I already got a vibe telling me he's one of_ _ **those**_ _types of host._

 _And the other people here? My competitors? Some of them look either weird, mean, or annoying. I have a feeling that my trigger will get pulled by one of these people here. I don't know which._

 _But… there is one guy who looks… fine I guess. Still, I'm not going to let my guard down. I have to be careful with these strangers._

 _P.S. I should probably give you a name. It's probably going to be aggravating only to call you 'Diary' always. I think I'll dub you… Thalia, after the nymph child of Hephaestus. Don't like the name? To bad, deal with it._

* * *

Ha! That's freaking hilarious, as I begin laughing at Gwen's wittiness and cynicism. Who knew she could write this good?

This kind of writing is pushing me to continue reading. With this in mind, I then turn to the next entry.

* * *

 _You have no fucking idea what went down today. Literally! Let me reiterate to you what happened._

 _Once the last camper arrived, Chris told us to group for a group photo. He was stalling for sometime before he was ready. And then, right when he clicked, the dock gave away, and we found ourselves wet from top to bottom. I'm beginning to think this camp had no budget when it got built. Lord only knows how horrible the cabins will look. But I'll get to that later._

 _Chris gave us a rundown of how this place works. Every other day there'll be a challenge, last one standing will win the big cash prize, yadda yadda yadda. Then we got into teams. I swear that Chris put me on the team with some of the strangest and weirdest people ever._

 _On my team there's yours truly; a guy named Trent who's into music; some girl from_ Mean Girls _named Heather; Lindsay who looks totally clueless; Justin, a cliche pretty boy; a fat tub named Owen who's overly excited to be here for some reason; some excited girl named Beth; an African-Canadian named Leshawna_ — _that didn't sound racist, did it; some annoying guy named Noah who's far more cynical than me; a girl named Katie who says 'EEEEEEEEE!' often, which is making my ears bleed GOD DAMMIT; Cody who I'm not so sure of. He looks like some everyday-happy geek. It's going to take some time for me to articulate my thoughts on my teammates for now._

 _By the way, our team's name is the Screaming Gophers. Lame name._

* * *

A feeling of fear is shooting through me from the way she described her new teammates. I mean, I get that we were strangers to her at first, but couldn't she be nicer and describe us… nicer?

According to this, Gwen thinks that I'm some 'happy-everyday geek.' Still, that's a pretty vague initial description of me.

Might as well continue reading.

* * *

 _The cabins. Oh god, the cabins. They're the shittiest looking cabins I've ever seen — both on the outside and inside. I get that cabins are a thing for summer camp, but couldn't the production team hire renovators to refurbish the cabins just a little?_

 _The beds themselves feel rough. I managed to get the softest possible bed I could find in our side, but it got ruined because of some massive giant. I think his name's DJ? Whatever. Now I had to wait and hope that my bed will get fixed because I'm not going to sleep on the cold-hard floor for the rest of the summer._

 _The food though… what the fucking hell are these people serving us!? That chef who must've worked in some prison before this can't cook at all! He's making us eat these living-moving-red… things! I don't even know what to make of it. I was serious when I told him I saw my meal move._

* * *

You and me both, Gwen. What else you got?

* * *

 _Anyways, the inaugural challenge was a real challenge alright. We're told to jump off a cliff that looks just as tall as the CN Tower and into the lake below. I repeat: We're to jump off a cliff that seems to rival the height of the CN Tower! Did these people even safe-tested these challenges at all?! Wouldn't we die from the mere impact of the water!? And if that wasn't enough, there were sharks in the water. FREAKING SHARKS! What kind of host has us risking our lives like that?_

 _That's not the craziest part though. The craziest part was when someone took the leap of faith out of nowhere and plunged himself to his doom! It wasn't even his turn, and he still leaped! He must've wanted to get it over with and give himself a quick, painless death. But no, he survived and managed to keep his bones intact. It's funny really. I thought he was going to cry like a typical damsel in distress when it came to his turn._

 _Two campers on the Killer Bass (that's our rival team's name) didn't jump. The giant from before because he was too scared, and some other girl named Courtney. She was expecting more than half of us not to jump. Either that or she's too proud to admit she's scared._

 _I was so looking forward to proving that stuck-up girl wrong. But before that, I had to endure some more bitchiness from Heather. She doesn't want to jump because she'll get her hair wet. Wet hair? Really? I get the sharks and the height, but damp hair? Was she for real? Luckily that other girl Leshawna got right up to her and threw her off the cliff. That was entertaining. Maybe there's something in Leshawna that I could feel comfortable being around._

 _I almost forgot to mention. Katie switched teams with a girl named Izzy. She was suffering from being separated from her supposed BFF. I honestly didn't care, less annoying sounds for me thankfully. Now I had to deal with some insane wacko._

 _Eventually, my turn came, and I was scared out of my life. Owen went last and caused a massive tsunami and got us wet. Again._

 _We won the challenge at least, and now we were to pull some crates. What was inside was necessary for the next challenge: building a hot tub._

 _At least we were given some wagons to carry our crates. Tough luck for the other team. That's what that Hispanic girl gets for jumping to conclusions._

 _We were supposed to open the crates with our teeth. Do you have any idea what splinters and ropes taste like, Thalia? Of course not, you're an inanimate object._

 _Nevertheless, we got our hot tub materials out and started work. I was gathering some planks for use until someone tried to assist me. It took a moment before I realized he's the guy who jumped first — that geeky kid named Cody. I was going to say sure until something in my mind told me otherwise. After all of my past encounters with geeks and nerds, I don't think I should associate with him neither. He's a go-on-optimistic-happy-go-swaggy geek. I said no and told him to leave. And guess what, he went. I thought he'd keep insisting on helping me and I'd had to tell him no some more. That was kind of weird._

 _But there's, even more, to say about that guy. Earlier, Courtney, that stuck-up counsellor-in-training or something girl, got her eye swollen. Cody went up to her and offered her some eye drops. She kept on declining before Cody did something that I was least expecting. He_ shouted _right in the girl's face making her flinch. He calmed down and managed to give her some eye drops. Maybe now she'll think instead of acting stubborn. And Cody… well, I need to do a lot_ more _articulating on that guy now._

 _By the way, Thalia, we won the hot tub challenge. The Bass lost. Their hot tub was a total mess. We were given a hot tub party as our reward for winning the challenge. The party was awesome. We partied until… I think up to around midnight. I'm sort of a night-owl, so I wasn't tired. But now I feel sleepy._

 _That about does it for today. Until next time Thalia._

* * *

I don't know what to make of this entry. She mentioned me a lot in this one.

What's surprising is the mention of some previous encounters with geeks in the past. I'm pretty sure I'm not the first geek she crossed paths. There's bound to be more like me in other schools across the country. Was she expecting me to act differently? Did she want me to persist in helping her then?

She, along with everyone else, saw my scuffle with Courtney. According to what's been written here it only made Gwen more confused about my personality. Does she expect to understand everyone's distinct character on the brim with whoever she meets?

She also wrote in here that she was expecting me to scream like a damsel in distress when I leaped. That's rather insulting. Yes, I did cry like a damsel in distress the first time, but that still doesn't give her right to judge my reactions.

The next entry's the Awakeathon. I quickly skim through it to find it was mostly about her getting along with Trent. It's cute, but this is about me right now. I need answers on what Gwen has against me.

I turned to the dodgeball entry.

* * *

 _I was so tired this morning, and I literally couldn't feel my face. Last night's challenge was so brutal. I honestly couldn't tell what's real or not._

 _Then, Chris comes in announcing to get ready for 'today's' challenge. Another challenge already?! Even though the last one ended yesterday!? Can't we have a break!? We're not inanimate objects like you Thalia! We can't take constant beatings as you can! Sorry if I'm insulting you, I'm just still so mad at Chris for making us function more today. We were behind schedule according to him. Is there even a schedule to follow?_

 _Well, whatever. Today we had to compete in dodgeball — finally, a common challenge that we can do without any unnecessary sufferings._

 _Things were going well for us. Noah, the annoying cynic who barely lifts a finger, hardly contributed to this challenge. He was only on court twice, and just because Cody somehow managed to convince him._

 _Speaking of Cody, I was astonished to see him play so well. I thought geeks don't play physical sports. Doesn't he stay in his room and play video games all day, while also watching porn and hentai? How's he that good? He's an enigma. I can't get a grip on that guy! Why am I having trouble getting his persona? On the one hand, he's happy and cheerful and gets up close with girls. But on the other side, he's sad, depressed and likes to yell and scream a lot._

 _Woah, I almost went into a rant there. Have to calm down._

 _Anyway's, Noah was being a total dick for almost the entire game. He didn't want to play at all. He only played for two rounds when Cody brought him in and when he made a plan in the final round. I'll give the snarker some credit, though. His plan almost worked. We'd probably win if it weren't for that nerd's dance moves. I think his name's Harold? Whatever, I don't think I'll be associated with that guy any time soon._

 _I'm kind of surprised that Lindsay came back on her own. The stereotypical ditz blonde went out with some jock from the other team for a walk (the jock's name is Tyler from what I recalled). I swear I saw them giving each other lovey-dovey goo-goo eyes, thinking they'd hook up. It's always like that with every hot girl and sporty jock. But no! She comes back to continue playing, and Tyler comes in looking sad. What did the heck happen between them?_

 _Whatever, again. It's not like Lindsay's relationship with Tyler would've had an effect on my future in general._

 _I was thinking of voting for Noah to be eliminated, but the Leshawna told me it be best to vote Justin out instead. He ditched us when an incoming ball gave him a black eye; didn't play for the rest of the game. Perhaps it's best; I don't know why but his silence was a little creepy._

 _Trent's been hanging out with Cody a lot though, though I don't know why. But at least he's there with me more than him._

 _I mean, I'm trying to ignore him, but he's so cute! If they had custom ordered a guy to be a distraction for me here, it would have been McHottie! I have no clue why but we totally connect, he's pretty much the only person I can relate to here, and I know it's a cliché, but I love guys who play guitar! He was so much fun to talk to during the Awake-a-thon. He's probably the only good thing to come out of me coming here._

 _Even though I like Trent, I'm still not sure if I want to pursue a relationship with him. I only know him for barely a week, and I don't believe in love at first sight. But we have seven more weeks on this desolate rock; anything is possible in the meantime._

* * *

I can't believe what I just read in there! That's Gwen's excuse for giving me the stink eye? Because I'm some enigma? If I were bothering her, then surely her hate for me would be understandable. But a conundrum, seriously? And does she have the guts to think that I'm sluggish like a lot of other geeks? Well, that's not the case with me at all. I may be skinny, but I'm not another Noah.

It's not just that though; I hate how she described Lindsay like that. She can be smart when she feels like it. Sure the idea of Lindsay not wanting to be with Tyler is absurd, I can agree with that, but be more kind to her!

Though, there is something that warrants my interest. Gwen mentioned a few times some other geeks that she had a run-in. Was I not the first geek to try and grab her attention? If that's true, then things may start to make sense slowly. I wish she didn't write about me like that. It feels pretty insulting.

As for the rest, I'm not surprised to find myself rereading her thoughts on Trent. Some of these words were the same ones that Heather read the first time around. She also wants to take it slow with him, so that's that.

To me, it seems like that the next entry is going to throw some more insults at me. Is it even worth reading the rest at this point? No. I've got to keep on reading. The answer I'm looking for should be in here somewhere. So I read.

* * *

 _WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED TODAY!?_

 _WHAT THE FUCK CODY!?_

 _I have no idea what happened, but someone stole you and wrote inside you! I'm so sorry, Thalia! I'm sorry! Your theft was all my fault! I should've kept a closer eye on you! Or at least got you a lock to hold my thoughts in. And now someone wrote in your pages. They even displayed those ridiculous fake thoughts to not just in front of the campers and Chris, but on NATIONAL TELEVISION!_

 _And they have the nerve to call you 'Diary'!_

 _I'm the centre of attention now, Trent hates my guts, and Cody lashed at me when I blamed him for stealing you!_

 _Oh, you don't know? I thought you do since you were there to see it. Then again, you don't have eyes and ears. I might as well tell you what happened._

 _After Chris read my diary out loud to everyone present_ and _on TV, Trent felt insulted thinking that I hate his guts. I tried to show him my real thoughts on him, but someone ripped your pages out! They somehow even managed to replicate my handwriting!_

 _At first, I thought it was Cody, so I blamed him. Why Cody? Well, I'll tell you why. Ever since the first day here, I felt that he was a generic perverted geek who only views women as prizes for fucking. All geeks are like that. They have a stash of porno under their beds, they watch anime with girls with giant fake tits, and they do anything to either try and steal a women's underwear or peak in their stalls!_

 _That's how Cody is supposed to be. A perverted geek who only wants to put a baby in us women! I saw him talking with those Bass girls, Courtney and Bridgette. The arrogant C.i.T. and that blonde surfer. And every time I saw him getting motorboated by Lindsay's fake tits does wonder's to my fucking nerves! Every geek is like that. They'd do anything to touch a women's chest or butt._

 _I even saw him spending 'quality' time with Lindsay to help her remember everyone's names here. I'll give him credit, he's attempting to make her less annoying, but even I know that he offers only to benefit himself. I've seen guys like him before. They aren't muscular, confident, or extraordinary in any activities that tend to attract girls. So, to make up for that, they draw on the only way they know has even a shot of working, and that's by acting nice. They become the pillar of support; the shoulder to cry on, a friend who just so happens to have a penis getting hard._

 _Sometimes though, that's not always the case. Even the most helpful and 'generous' geeks can be the sneaky little bastards at times. He talks as if he doesn't care he lacks a girlfriend, he looks mad and argues about things that we all agree that's annoying (like Courtney's whining and complaining), and while acting nice, he becomes sarcastic at the same time. But Cody, oh boy Cody is probably the most strategic and well-acted geek I ever came across. Besides me, he's so good in fooling others that it looks like he has Dissociative Identity Disorder._

 _Don't know what that is, Thalia? It's a disorder where a person can have more than one identity living inside their head. An old man, a child, a housekeeper, or a black woman are some examples, and it can be very, VERY creepy. I'm pretty sure Cody doesn't have D.I.D., but it sure feels like he does. It makes him even more disturbing and makes me even more cautious around him._

 _I thought it was only a matter of time before he makes his move on me next. I felt that he orchestrated the theft of you so he could comfort me and then later try getting in my pants._

… _and then this happened._

 _Cody SHOUTED at me. He lashed out at me so loud that it got me to flinch. That geek somehow managed to intimidate me. He managed to fucking scare me! I became afraid of a fucking geek! I know I'm over exaggerating, but I never thought in my lifetime that I'd feel that intimidated. Not even the bitches at my school were capable of doing that. He wasn't just mad, but was on the verge of a psychological breakdown!_

 _He mentioned almost every girl on this island and how he has no plans to sway them_ — _he adds that I'm no exception to him. He degraded me for how I treated him, then mentioned that despite my nature as a loner, I'd still hang with Trent and Leshawna. Ironic isn't it?_

 _Although I'm not sure if it'll ever be the same again between Trent and me._

 _He read my mind on all the stuff I thought he would do._

 _Finally, to finish things off, he told me about how his personal life was like before entering this show. He must've had some bully encounters for most of his life. That's the thing with geeks like him. That nerd, Harold, I saw him getting picked on by Duncan and Geoff a few times. Sucks to be him, but that's how the social status works usually._

 _And once he finished his rant, he spun and headed out without a word. Again, I became the centre of attention. Everyone just stared at me like I'm a ghost. Silent and floating aimlessly, just what a spirit does._

 _By now, I'm feeling more relaxed. My nerves are still acting from that incident earlier today, and now it just got me thinking again._

 _That was probably one of the most legit rants that I heard in a while. There was no aura of acting or deceiving that I felt off from Cody. I can't seem to make heads and tails with this guy. He IS an enigma! I get him at first; then I don't. Then again, and then I get jinxed. It's happening again and again and again. What's it going to take for me to see his true self? What is he anyway? A perverted jerk or some lone geek in need of something else?_

 _I don't know what to think at this point. I don't even want to consider anymore. I lost Trent, I'm on center stage, and now this thing with Cody! How can it get worse?_

 _NO! Don't think that! Don't jinx yourself again, Gwen! You're only going to run into even more problems._

 _Thalia, I don't want to think anymore. Maybe some good night's sleep will help me. Goodnight._

* * *

Everything went quiet. Even my breathes barely made a sound in this endless void of nothingness. The more I read, my grip on this journal tightens. There's that feeling of need to shout again, maybe even attack — anything to let all of this rage out of my system. But nothing seems to be coming out.

I was right before I started reading this… a killing nightmare of an entry. Never had I ever felt so insulted in my life. I've been offended by my castmates in the past for being weak, a geek, and a total perv. But this, even if they're just words written on some pieces of papers, is making me feel like Courtney when she yells during World Tour or All-Stars.

Gwen, this whole time, is probably feeling repulsed by me because she thinks I'm like every geek she once crosses paths. It must be the case really; I'm not the first geek to fall head-over-heels for her the first time. But she thinks that I'm like every geek she's ever met? Is she judging me based on her past experiences? Does she believe that all geeks are the same, act the same, think the same, like the same thing, or whatever else is the same between us cliques!? How heavy of a Liberal is she goddammit!?

That's not even the worst part though. Gwen thinks that all my kind acts are to benefit me and only me! Maybe at first, but I'm a changed man! I know what's for me and what someone else is in massive need! I'm not trying to live on sex like Quagmire from Family Guy does! I don't play **tricks** for my personal needs dammit!

And that's not it. Gwen has the galls to compare my mindset to someone who has Multiple Personality Disorder, a fatal psychological disease that could limit someone's life significantly! I don't have different Cody's running around in my head, taking control whenever they feel like it. Doesn't she realize when she competed in All-Stars how poor Mike's life is like with different persona's running inside his mind? And one of them just so happens to be a psychopathic criminal trying to dominate for control!

Then there's her hypocrisy. She thinks that every man desire is to fuck girls. If that's the case then why is she hanging out with Trent? What attributes does Trent has besides playing the guitar and looking cute does he have that makes him an exception out of 3.2 billion males on this planet? Now that I think about it, what did she see in Duncan besides shallow attractions that makes him another exception!?

Are all fan-favourites on this island goddamn hypocrites!?

I have got to relax. I must rest. I can't start ranting now. I've only just wiped away the sands off the lid of the treasure chest. These were written before I even hooked her up with Trent. Things should've been better between us, but she still kept giving me the stink eye. There has to be an explanation of why she hasn't given me the benefit of the doubt yet.

There's only one thing to do about it. I've got to read more about this diary.

I begin to skim through the next few entries merely — the entries about the camping challenge, the tuck shop trip, and the phobia challenge. There wasn't much of me in those entries, unlike the last ones. It was more about herself and thoughts on the challenges, and how she misses Trent. They were less heated also which makes things a little more relaxing.

The next entry is the canoe trip entry. This entry was the one that I've been looking to read. Another series of 'moments of truth' begins as I begin to learn.

* * *

 _Things happened today, Thalia. It seems my time here looks to be taking a surprise turn._

 _I've... sort of hooked up with Trent finally. I'm surprised at this new development myself. I'm probably more astonished over_ how _we managed to hook up._

 _One word: Cody._

 _I'm not sure if you knew this already, but I haven't been feeling high in spirit ever since that day when you-know-what happened. I'm not even going to describe that day thoroughly again. I want to forget about it and move on, and I know you do too._

 _We were told by Chris to canoe to an island called Boney Island. I know, it sounds_ so _spooky that I was getting_ total _goosebumps just from the name alone. Anyways, I wanted to try to make things better with Trent and me, so I went to ask him to be my partner._

 _Or I would've asked him if it weren't for Cody. He showed up out of nowhere and suggested he and I partner up together. He didn't sound like he was trying to hit on me. Though, something in me acted up before I found myself twisting his left arm in retaliation. I don't know how to explain it. Either I still don't trust him, or it was some mere instinct that caused me to do that._

 _In the end, I budded with him while Lindsay takes Trent with her. Things were so awkward between us. Cody tried to start a conversation with me, but goddammit his weak attempts were just plain pathetic and annoying. I sacked him with my paddle when my limit gets reached. Again, he and I argued: he asked me why I'm making things so complicated to him, but boy oh boy he has no idea how he's making things complicated to ME._

 _Now here's where the crazy part starts. Cody brought up Trent. I tensed up when he did, but he said that he could help make things better between us. It wasn't the offer that caught me off guard, but his SELFLESSNESS that crumbled my initial thoughts of him._

 _He sounded moderate and honest, unlike the past peeps I had to deal. I asked him what's the catch, but he told me there was none. There was nothing else to say except to wait it out and see what happens._

 _By the time we got to Boney Island, things didn't turn out great_ — _but when does anything turn out great here? We almost became beaver meat! A pack of hungry beavers chased us down; since when were beavers carnivorous!? Then we were chased by some meat-eating birds; when do birds eat meat!? I'm beginning to question the wildlife here in Muskoka._

 _Then Trent ran into some quicksand. We all started to freak out, even me. I couldn't think of any way to save him. Things were happening so fast! Lindsay tried saving him, but surprise surprise, she got stuck too._

 _And honestly, the way they got rescued had got to be the most cliche and comedic method O ever witness. Cody swings from a tree on a vine to grab them, Indiana Jones style. Though, it ended in an epic failure. Cody missed the two and slammed into a nearby tree. Luckily, the vine came back, Trent catches it and pulls himself and Lindsay out. They congratulated Cody for rescuing them._

 _...I'll admit, if it weren't for him, they wouldn't have that vine to pull themselves out._

 _That incident caused us a significant delay in our progress. Our rival team was in the lead already gathering woods for their rescue fire. We immediately knew what we had to do and rushed for our sticks._

 _The Bass was leading, but only because Duncan was using his lighter. And being the unfair host he was, Chris let it slide._

 _But get this: we still won! How? By Izzy of course. She turned our rescue fire into an actual fireball! She said she learned how to do that at some summer reserve which got the RCMP chasing her. I didn't believe that at first. What do I mean by 'at first?' I'll come back to that soon. But first, I need to get back to Cody._

 _It was time to race back to the island, and Cody put his plan to hook me up into action — did that sound cliche? He suggested that he and Lindsay canoe together while I go with Trent. It was such a cliche move on his part, but for some reason, it works. It felt warm having Trent sitting next to me again, and judging by his face; he's up to the idea too._

 _I thought it was going to be a soft, quiet canoe ride just the two of us. The Bass was behind us with no way off. Oh, I didn't mention it yet? Well, Harold was being an idiot and threw his team's paddles into their fire. I thought we had this challenge in the bag. But guess what, Izzy helped the other team out! She gave them some advice to get someone to push from behind to get back to Wawanakwa! And it worked! We lost because of Izzy! They had DJ push them back because he's the strongest of the Bass, all thanks to Izzy._

 _I was initially going to vote Izzy out, but Noah suggested that Lindsay should go because she lost the map and was slowing us down a lot. That and she wouldn't be much help in future challenges. Cody didn't seem on board with that idea though, and he just up and left the meeting._

 _Alright, now we get to the biggest twist of the night. Remember when I told you that Izzy's on the run from the RCMP? Well, turns out to be true! During tonight's elimination, when it came down to the remaining two (that would be Izzy and Lindsay), a fucking RCMP helicopter appeared out of nowhere! They were after Izzy! All that crazy stuff Izzy was talking about was real, and she escaped like a maniac before any of us could question her further!_

 _Things happened today. A lot of things happened. Things between Trent and I got fixed and Cody's still… I still don't know yet. All I hope is that things go north from then on._

* * *

This new entry didn't upset me on the level as the last entry did, but I'm still cross from what I just read.

At least I know why Gwen tried to break my arm. It was in a manner of instincts. That or my lashing at her didn't tear her wall down with a message saying how I don't mean business.

What upsets me in this entry is that she hasn't given me the benefit of the doubt after hooking her up with Trent. I'd understand if she were surprised by my selflessness for helping her (considering I wasn't so selfless back the first time), but unlike last time, she's not convinced that I'm a good guy. She says my methods were cliche and nothing else.

I'm glad that Gwen had a better day that day. I'm pleased that I made her day a happy one. But where's the 'thank you' that I deserve?

It also boils me how she bluntly decides to vote Lindsay out without thinking how much I care about her. 'Didn't _seem_ on board with the idea!?' I sure as heck was _not_ , and still am not on board with the idea. I still haven't thought how the voting from that night went. Though at this point, it doesn't matter since Izzy's gone, for now.

Perhaps now would be a good time to put this book down. I think I've found all the answers that I was looking for about Gwen. I would've done so if I hadn't noticed something out of my eye.

It's another entry, written in her usual handwriting. It must be her latest one. I can only assume it was from the paintball-deer-hunting challenge. The only thing I remember that got on Gwen's nerves was suggesting to stick together, with me, her and Trent. She didn't take it kindly and walked away with Trent in tow.

This last entry might have something that could be of value to me. Feeling desperate for that value, I begin reading Gwen's final entry.

* * *

 _I haven't felt this embarrassed in my entire life. I was forced to cosplay as a deer for today's challenge. A freaking DEER of all things!_

 _Chris had us go on an_ extreme _and_ wild _deer hunt. Half the team hunts for the other team's herd and vice versa. I had to be a deer for my team along with Trent, Cody and Heather. Why am I always forced to be near the latter two? At least Trent's with me, making things a little bit better._

 _Heather ditched us to search for her lackeys, and I got Trent and me to ditch Cody. I was confident he could take care of himself._

 _I take it back. I didn't think Cody's even qualified enough to take care of himself. Mentally, perhaps. Physical wise, I doubt it. But JESUS CHRIST! The turnout was entirely alien to me after he fought against a bear!_

 _Yeah, you heard me. Cody fought toe to toe with a freaking bear. A BEAR OF ALL THINGS! Granted it was an animatronic, but just seeing its head was enough to give me chills down my spine. Cody somehow managed to decapitate a giant robotic bear that might've been at least twenty times DJ's strength._

 _He quickly blamed Chris because he thought he sent the bear after him. Chris denied his claim, like how any sadistic jerk would. It makes sense; our pain must be what keeps Chris McJerk in working order._

 _What further got under my nerves was when Lindsay and Bridgette began to fight over him almost immediately. It's one thing to hug him out of fear and concern, but fighting over him when he isn't worth fighting for really boils my nerves._

 _Okay, I know you're an inanimate object, Thalia. But I'm sure if you're real, you'd be asking me why I'm still cold towards Cody, even after he did something no geek would ever do for you?_

 _Plain and simple. I don't trust him. I don't think I can ever put my faith in him, as the kind of enigma he is. One moment he's happy and the next he's depressed. I can't tell if that's his strategy in 'wooing' girls, but I don't want to become a victim to a man's kindness._

 _Take Courtney for example. He tried to get her to be more open with herself by being as kind as possible, and that failed miserably. His self-loathing at his failed attempt is probably a hoax to earn himself some sympathy from other girls here. Then you have Lindsay, I told you this already, Cody's helping her remember the names of everyone on this island. Surprisingly, his 'lessons' are going somewhere. Lindsay finally got my name right after two weeks on this island. I got used to her mistaking my name long ago, but at least she's less annoying now. Still, she has the mindset of a peanut, and a girl of that low intelligence is the perfect prey for a horny geek like him. And finally Bridgette, and this is where his 'depression' comes into play. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but he probably goes to a school where the student body not only runs on status but looks too. My school's like that, but I tend to stay away from the many social groups and do my own thing. Geeks get bullied, but they just walk-off after getting beaten up the next day. Cody probably wishes to climb the status ladder, and the way he's going about it is by grabbing the girls attention. The more girls a guy has, the more popular he is, and it's sick to no end. Bridgette's probably the kind of girl who would be there for someone who is troubled, and Cody knows this. The more troubled he looks, the more sympathy and 'help' he'll get from her. Eventually, the more sympathetic Bridgette is, the more she becomes a harlot like Lindsay._

 _Okay, you know what, enough about Cody. Let me tell you what happened afterwards. We didn't have a meeting to discuss who to vote off, so we decided to see what happens. I'm pretty sure I along with Trent, Leshawna, and everyone else who isn't Heather or Lindsay knows that Heather is going to get voted off. If there's one thing that could lower my bitterness of this place, it's Heather leaving. If she leaves, I wouldn't have to hear or even acknowledge that irritating tone of hers. Besides Cody, she has been a total bother to me ever since Day 1. Everyone was on board with this, and it was going to be amazing._

 _Only it wasn't._

 _Why? I'll tell you why… BECAUSE HEATHER DID NOT GET ELIMINATED! According to Chris, BETH, of all people got the majority! WHY!? I remember thoroughly writing down Heather's name on that slip of parchment and slipping it into the voting box! Trent, Leshawna and I specifically agreed that we'd vote Heather that night! What the heck was Chris playing at!? Was Heather going to walk off that elimination from the fucking start!? If so then why couldn't he fucking say so?! I wasted my vote on someone who was practically immune from the beginning! I could've used my vote to vote out Cody instead! FUCK! If only he got mauled by that bear earlier so he would've been my first vote! Why couldn't he had just let the fucking robot maul him!? It would've made things a lot easier for me! WHAT'S NEXT!? Leshawna, my best and only friend besides Trent getting eliminated next challenge?!_

 _The unnecessary drama, tension, HEATHER, CODY! FUCKING CODY AND HIS GEEKY NATURE! I could care less if he made my time here a little better for hooking me up with Trent, BUT PLEASE GOD, JUST GET RID OF HIM FOR ME ALREADY!_

 _I'm so done with him. I just want him, Heather, and everyone else who are associated with those two to just go away. I won't even mind if I get eliminated next time. Just so long as I don't deal with those two again._

 _That's it for tonight Thalia, so good-fucking-night._

* * *

The white void has been as it was when I woke up. All so silent like the thickest part of space. The only sound that I was able to make out was my heavy breathing, as it grew from silent but deadly to aggressive and deadly, and the sound of the diary hitting the floor, letting slide out of my hands. My gut feels like they've been punched — my mind's turning in so many directions from this newfound discovery. The pages that were in my hands felt like they were burning my thoughts.

This has been something I figure out already, but now I only see with my own eyes, dream or not. Gwen hates me. Not annoyed of me like in the first timeline, really _hate_. This whole time she's been telling me to go fuck myself. Seeing me with the likes of Lindsay and Bridgette repulsed her, all because of some ridiculous assumptions which are far from the truth. And the fact she wrote how the two blondes I grew to adore are a duo of harlots, that they're easy disgusts me to no end.

She hates me, for being a geek, for being with some girls, for some assumptions she has that was brought up by experience. And no matter how much someone tries to convince her otherwise, even by bringing up how I helped her hook up with Trent, she has to find some kind some disgusting reason to appease her justification.

"Gwen…," I utter in silence and venom. That girl, the goth that I grew to love from my first time here, isn't the girl I like anymore. That girl that goth is the girl I long to HATE!

I feel my hands reaching down.

I should never have eyed Gwen in the first place.

I grab the diary from off the floor

Gwen, this whole time was a bitch.

I begin ripping it apart.

I should never have trusted her. I should never have loved her.

Ripped pages scatter everywhere.

Instead… I should have... hated her.

The journal is destroyed. Her secrets are everywhere.

I… hate… Gwen…

I. Hate. Gwen.

I hate Gwen.

I HATE GWEN!

 **I HATE GWEN!**

 **I HaTe GwEn!**

 **i hAtE gWeN!**

 **I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN! I HaTe GwEn! i hAtE gWeN!**

 _ **GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!**_ _ **FUCKING**_ _ **!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!**_ _ **GOTHIC**_ _ **!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!**_ _ **ARROGANT**_ _ **!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!**_ _ **STUBBORN**_ _ **!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!**_ _ **DISGUSTING**_ _ **!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!GWEN!**_ _ **BITCH**_ _ **!**_

 **"** _ **AAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"**_ Taking a page from Eva, I tilt my head back, unleashing a terrifying roar that makes the whole void shatter like from an earthquake. The white realm of silent begins to crack, unable to handle my sound. The cracking intensifies. Black crack lines are forming on all sides.

The rage — the amount of rage I'm feeling, I feel total rage. Rage, not even Courtney could ever handle. I continue to roar as the realm continues to crack, everything shatters-

* * *

"GAH!" And I wake up.

"Again… Again!" I pant feeling exhausted. "FUCK!" I yell while smashing my fist onto my bunk mattress. Didn't even care that I could break the bed. They've been a wreck for a long time already.

"Well, well, well. It looks like Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken," I hear someone say that from the bottom bunk. Checking underneath, Noah's there reading another one of his novels, looking like he doesn't care for his surroundings.

"You didn't kiss me, did you?" I ask the bookworm, despite my anger flowing.

"Sure, because I totally want to make a ridiculous fantasy a reality to every creepy yaoi fangirls," he says, still keeping his eyes on his pages.

"Watch what you say, will ya? Anything we say can be used for ammo."

"It's your fault for bringing that up in the first place."

He's right. I was the one who started this chat. It was already bad enough that Noah kissed me in his sleep the first time. Well, nevermind that, I have some bigger fishes to grill.

I slump back on my bed letting my breath out. "When did I wake up?" I mutter.

"1 o'clock," I hear Noah say that. He must've heard me muttered.

I groan feeling frustrated. That's a time Noah would wake up. "Are you sure you're not mixing up your wake up time with mine?"

"Hardy-har-har. The last thing I'd ever want is a clone of me," was that supposed to be sarcasm? "Judging by your wake up you had another dream?"

Gee, isn't that obvious with every single one of them? "Well… it wasn't a nightmare. But it wasn't a good dream either."

"Care to explain?"

I sit back up and look underneath me again. "Since when did you care what my dreams are?" I don't remember Noah being this curious of my dreams?

"Well, you seem to be getting more affected by your dreams with each one, and not in a good way. The last thing everyone need is for someone to become insane."

That sounded… kind, I guess? I know Noah's a kind and mannered teen once you get to know him, he has a way of expressing it in the most annoying ways. "Thanks?... I guess?"

"So, what torment have you gone through this time within your mind space?"

I quickly debated whether I should tell Noah about what I learned about Gwen. As annoying he can get, he still has a brilliant mind for just about everything. Though, I don't know what he'd say when I tell him the answers I somehow found.

"I never said I'd tell you," I began. "This could be something only to be discussed with Gwen." I was willing to say that last part, just as a little hint for Noah to poke out.

"A dream about Gwen, huh? Did she finally tell you why she mysteriously hates you?"

My body freezes at his guess while a feeling of impression soars through my mind. He was able to decipher my hint with ease. "How did you know?" I ask.

"Oh please, you're not the only one who's curious as to why she hates you."

Yeah, I see that making sense. Even Trent and Leshawna tried to get Gwen to explain, but according to them, she was too stubborn to explain. "Well, it wasn't from her I found out why instead I read her diary. It was so detailed, even saying that me hooking her up with Trent hardly meant anything to her. If at all."

"What else did you learn?"

I want to drop it there, but I see no point. Noah knows too much already. "She had some experience with some pervy geeks."

"And she supposedly thinks you're no different?"

"Are you sure you're not some mind reader?" I ask, feeling annoyed by his accurate guesses.

"You're answers are pretty obvious. They lead from one meaning to another."

I'm going to drop it there now. Noah already has enough information as needed, no reason to explain everything else in my dream.

I want a topic change. "So, anyway… had anything happened while I was asleep?"

"You missed a good show."

I raise an eyebrow at that. "Care to reiterate?"

"Harold woke up on the dock this morning in nothing but his underwear. The girls were in the lake laughing at him, so were Duncan, DJ and Geoff. Those three were obviously behind the prank. Poor Harold, but still a laugh," he finishes with a grin.

Of course, I almost forgot about that prank. So the Bass trio pulled it on the nerd like the first time here, and I missed my chance to see it in person. Why couldn't I wake up from that dream earlier?

I would pity Harold, but it's his fault for not taking my advice into account. This rivalry isn't one-sided, to begin with, I think. If the first time showed anything, today's prank would not put Harold provoking Duncan with his messes to rest. If I had to force Harold to apologize to avoid any more tension between him and the delinquent, so be it.

"Well, poor Harold," I say. "But I have things to do," meaning it, I quickly strip from my sleepwear and clothe myself with my everyday clothing.

"I know what you're planning, Cody."

I pause putting on my shoes after hearing Noah say that. I turn my attention to him and ask him, "What am I gonna do?"

"If you think that confronting Gwen over that dream of yours will get you any explanations, you won't get any."

"No one asked for your opinion," I tell him.

"I wasn't voicing an opinion. I was stating a fact. You'd be leading yourself down a slippery slope."

"The only slippery slope is her having those hasty generalizations about me for a very long time now," raising my left index finger at the bookworm, I continue. "I will not be viewed poorly upon any longer now than I already have."

"You don't even know why she hates you. Dreams don't give out answers to life questions."

"You don't know that."

"You're talking to someone who earned himself an A+ in psychology."

"Look, Noah, I honestly don't care what you think of me," I sigh, finished putting on my shoes. "Whatever happens happens. I have some errands to run."

"You're gonna regret doing this," he calls out.

"I'll regret if I ever make a mistake," I reply as I step outside, shutting the door behind me.

Out of all the friends I've made during my time here, Noah was probably, if not the most annoying one I've made. Maybe it's just me being pissed off but did he had to be so sarcastic and apathetic to a lot of things in life? I get it, having too many siblings can be a torment to most people, but one can't let it get the best of them.

Though, I'd probably feel the same way if I were in Noah's shoes. I never had a brother or sister when growing up. A lot of times I wished and prayed that I did have either, so I wouldn't feel alone and have an actual _real_ friend. However, my parents were already way too busy to even think about having another child or consider adopting one.

Anyway, the campground's looking pretty bare. I don't see any of my other castmates. I hope Gwen is nearby so I could confront her. She may be in her side of the cabin. With this in mind, I went up to the Girls' side and knock on it. "Anyone in there?" I call. No one was answering. I knock again, not getting a response still. The remaining Gopher girls are Lindsay, Gwen, and Heather; seems like neither of them is inside.

I'm pretty sure neither of them is in the Bass cabin. They'd be breaking some rules if they did. Chris is a hypocrite, but he'll call out on them. The Mess Hall could be where Gwen's at. That and I need something to eat. I'm do feel pretty hungry right now. My tummy will sooner or later growl in a notification.

 _*Grrrrrr*_

You see? I called it.

Entering the Mess Hall, I'm met with… nobody. There's no one inside the building. If there's one place, any of my castmates would be it be here. It's mostly the Main Lodge of all of Wawanakwa. Granted, it looks worn down as heck, but it's still the Main Lodge.

Hang on; I wasn't considering Chef. He's the main chef on the island; he has to be in the kitchen. Unless he's not with Chris doing who-knows-what in private. Brrrrrr. That's an image I don't want to visualize.

I walk up to the window looking into the kitchen and call out, "Chef!? You in here!?" Footsteps get heard, and Chef appears from the kitchen.

"Well, finally you got up!" Chef bellows with his arms crossed. "You'd never last with your fellow troops with that damn laziness of yours."

"Noah's the lazy one, not me," I correct the hulking guy. Granted, I can be lazy a lot, but not as much as Noah. "And I had this dream that I couldn't wake myself up from."

"Again with the dreams?" Chef asks looking surprised. "Thought you had no more after that one where you ran out after. You were screaming like a banshee."

"Don't remind me, please," I sigh, pausing for a moment. "By the way, do you have any leftovers from breakfast? I missed it, and I'm starving right now."

"Sorry, soldier. I'm using the leftovers for lunch later on. It'll be a sweet combo of Hawaiian fusion casserole with some sweet 'ol meat surprise. Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm."

If he were an ordinary non-Samuel L. Jackson chef talking, I might believe that lunch will look cool. And I do mean _might_. I'm not sure how well you could make good food from day old leftovers. But since this is Chef we're talking about, I could only imagine the horrendous glob of moving slob would look like. It's not easy to visualize.

But I'm getting off topic. "O-Okay. Have you at least seen Gwen? I need to talk to her."

"Haven't seen anyone of you other soldiers since breakfast. Why? You wanna yell at her some more?"

I let out a sigh of annoyance. "Okay, that was just one time. I was in a bad mood that day."

"That's not how I remembered."

What the hell is he talking — okay, he's right. I wasn't really in any lousy mood then. That lashing I gave Gwen that day came out of nowhere. It took the whole camp by shock, even me.

"Well, thanks anyway," I tell Chef before turning and leaving.

If I somehow don't find Gwen today, then I swear I'm going to confront her tomorrow, even if we're in the middle of tomorrow's challenge. It may be a one-way ticket to elimination, but I'd be willing to take the risk.

I don't know what it would take to show how apparent I am that I don't mean any harm. The only girls I've ever been around a lot are Lindsay and Bridgette. And even then I'm not stalking them as I did to Gwen the first time here.

Even so, Gwen still has the ovaries to think that I'm playing some wild cards to bed some hot babes for my benefits.

I hope I'm right with my suspicions. As much as I hate to admit it, Noah's right. I might be heading down a slippery slope for all I know. It's just that — that dream I had was so detailed and convincing. I'm not sure how my mind was able to conjure up such an accurate and plausible reason for Gwen's massive dislike for me.

What I've figured out may have been words from a diary, but actions do speak louder than words, but her actions in real life seem to be proving something. After all, a journal is a sanctuary where you can let out your greatest anger.

My thoughts soon get interrupted when I finally spot the person who I'm looking for. Gwen's seen exiting the communal bathrooms probably heading back to the cabin. Finally, I have my chance. Just remain calm and go to her in mannerism.

I pick up my pace to catch up to her. Once at a reasonable distance I call out to her. "Gwen!" she hears me, stops, and turns to look at me. "I need to ask you some questions."

She makes a face; her eyes are looking heated. "Can it wait some other time? I'm not in the mood." She says before walking away.

Oh no, I'm not giving up, even if it means pushing her. "Gwen! Please, don't walk away from me. I'm not sure what you're bothered by, but I really must speak with you," I already knew what's bothering her. I want to hear what she has to say.

"Please, go away," she replies with venom.

Being the persistent individual I am, I keep pressing on. "Look, Gwen, I know you hate being here; I know the cash prize is what's keeping you from quitting. But can you just-"

"CODY!" Gwen snaps, spinning around looking into my eyes. "SHUT UP! Can't you take a hint that I want to be alone!? Why can't you take a goddamn hint that I don't wanna be near you!?"

I was almost taken aback by this sudden behaviour. There were times when Gwen did snap, but not from total stubbornness. If this happened back the first time, I would've obeyed without hesitation… But no, not this time. Heck, I'm unsure if Gwen even deserves to speak after all the crappy treatment she gave me these past few weeks.

Gwen began to try and walk away again, only to fail. Something in me snapped. And the next thing I knew…

" **NO!** " I shout so loud, snatching hold of Gwen's left arm with my right with some hidden strength I rarely realize. "I'm not allowing you to ditch me this time!"

Gwen looks scared for a moment before snatching back her arm, "Don't you _dare_ touch me you-"

"That's what you're concern about!? That I grabbed your arm!? Do you want to know why I did that? Because you're stubborn," I point at Gwen. "You're so stubborn not to be willing to have a one-on-one so that you could continue living in your fantasy!"

Gwen's eyes shot up, "Fantasy!? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh cut the 'innocent goth' act won't yeah! I know why you hate me! I know why you give me the stink eye and want me out of your eyesight. You think I'm a creep, right!? You think I'm some sneaky little bastard trying to get into your pants and make you pregnant? You think I'm so pathetic!?"

"What!? I-I don't think you're pathetic!" Gwen says, her voice raising a bit.

My glare hardened on her. "Oh, stop with your denies. I'm not easily fooled as I was before!" By this point, I think we're attracting a crowd. "Your actions proved that you don't want to have anything to do with me, all because of some hasty generalization you had on me from the very start of this contest!"

"I never jumped to any immediate conclusions on you!"

I don't believe her one bit. "Oh really!? So blaming me for exposing your diary and saying that I'm here for sex _isn't_ jumping to an immediate conclusion!?"

"W-Well I-"

"And speaking of jumping to conclusions, may I add that you do the same thing for almost every camper here!? Lindsay, Bridgette, and Courtney too!? Especially Lindsay and Bridgette! Two of the most kind-hearted girls I met who are there for me, and I for them, and you call them HARLOTS! You think they're dumb!? SHALLOW!? HOPELESS!? FUCKING HARLOTS!?"

"WHAT?!"

"Seriously?"

"Bridge!? A harlot!?"

"Woah!"

"Geez…"

"Ha!"

"Huh?!"

"EXCUSE ME!"

"What's a harlot?"

So people are gathering around us. I didn't take a look, but I'm pretty sure they have some awestruck or scared look on their faces. They aren't important right now. I have some bigger fishes to fry.

"I never said they're a bunch of harlots!" Gwen threw her hands up in her anger.

I stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "Eventually, the more sympathetic Bridgette is, the more she becomes a harlot like Lindsay."

Gwen stood there lowering her arms. "What did you just say?" she raised her left eyebrow.

"Was that sentence I just said something you've written in one of your recent diary passages?"

Seemingly realizing what I said, Gwen gets into a stance. "DID YOU READ MY DIARY!?"

"HA!" I clap my hands in success before pointing at the goth. "I WAS RIGHT! You do see those two as harlots! I have a half a mind to give you a lesson on making those hasty generalizations on two girls who never did anything to you!" I finish, making a fist.

"I have a half a mind to break your arm for reading my diary!" Gwen yells back, making her fist.

"I didn't read your diary, goddammit!" I half-lied. "I'm just smarter than you make me out to be!"

"Smart enough to know when to ask for an early death!" Her glare intense, but I didn't back down.

"At least I'm smart enough to know when to feel hurt when someone wants a bear to _maul_ me! So that you can use that excuse to vote me off!" She was about to say something, possibly another deny, but I stop her before I say, "If only he got mauled by that bear earlier so he would've been my first vote! Why couldn't he had just let the fucking robot maul him!? It would've made things a lot easier for me!"

"Will you stop it!? Stop saying things from my diary!"

"I knew it again! You don't care if I ever get mauled or almost killed! Just so long as I was out of your life just for being a geek! Hating me just because I'm into certain things you're not?! Because you were stalked by some geeks once!? Are you quick to conclude that experience gives real answers and facts to human behaviour!?"

"Of course not! I never hate someone for having a different interest from mine! Only when they do things I that bothers me!"

"So geeks like me hanging out with girls that's not you, even the most normal, not-creepy and kind ones, bothers you!?"

"NO! Only those who I think are a bunch of creepy stalkers or similar to that!"

I let out a dark chuckle. "That's funny. Cause if you remember from the past few weeks, I haven't done anything that is on the level of borderline stalking! I helped Lindsay remember names of everyone here because I knew she has a horrible memory of names, and I know that everyone is annoyed when she calls you by another name! Like you! You gave Lindsay the stinkeye when she called you 'Greta.' I'm doing what no jock or bad-boy would ever do for a hot girl with ADHD! Yes, I called her 'hot,' because she _is_! I am a heterosexual-male teen, still going through puberty! Of course, I'm going to notice some natural features in girls! What boy doesn't besides gays or asexuals!? And Bridgette is coming to _me!_ Because I'm in need of emotional support! Something you can't grasp upon, but instead sees my pain as an act for my benefits!"

* * *

I wasn't acknowledging whoever was watching, but by then every camper was present. Shocked, confusion and amazement are what's going through their minds right then and there. Some were even feeling deja vu, remembering a similar argument that happened some days ago.

Bridgette was looking both offended and worried. Offended after learning what Gwen thinks of her, and worried for my sake. Lindsay too, but she doesn't know what harlot is, which she shouldn't. It'll probably make her feel disgusted with herself. Noah was also there but watched with a bored face, probably was expecting this to happen. Trent stood in the sidelines too but was perhaps to scared come to his girlfriend's defence.

* * *

"That and you seem to realize that there's a bunch of other people who deserve to be hated more than me!" I took a quick look before pointing to Heather. "Ms. Queen Bee is a bossy bitch who doesn't care for anything or anyone on this island besides the prize money! Heck, she must've concocted something to get your quote-unquote best friend eliminated yesterday!"

"Hey!" I hear Heather yell that. "I'm right-"

"Shut up, will ya!?" I tell her before pointing to Duncan. "Mr. Punk Rebel only cares for own tough pride and likes to bully on the weak! If there's a boy who doesn't deserve to be dated, it's that jerk!"

"What did you just-"

"SHUSH!" I yell at Duncan before turning to Harold. "Mr. Mad Skills is disgusting and smelly! He never picks up after himself, and isn't honest with whatever messes he made!"

"GOSH! I already-"

"No interruptions!" That silences Harold. "And if that's not enough, then you must've easily forgotten how _I_ was the one who hooked you up with Trent, the so-called only boy who isn't a creepy perv that you can trust! I did it unconditionally and out of kindness. If it weren't for me, you two would've still remain apart. And you have the knack to think that my help was part of some elaborate scheme to bed you!? Where are you getting these hasty generalizations!?"

Everyone who's present went quiet. Not even Gwen is saying anything in her defence. My anger was slowly diminishing, slowly getting replaced with anguish. "Just… why? Why am I always treated as if the world wants me dead? Why is it that whatever I do, if it involves a girl or someone else, everyone is quick to jump on my case? Is it because I'm skinny? My unmanly voice? Is that it?..."

I didn't hear anyone say anything. Either they were trying to come up with an answer, to sad to think of one, or just didn't care about my plight. I look back at Gwen's face seeing a more blank expression. Her anger must've diminished on its own.

Shaking my head, I continued. "You may have forgotten what I told you the other day, so let me repeat myself," I pause, thinking what to say. "For as long as I could remember, I was bullied either for my geeky nature or my weak looking structure. Starting with daycare, for I was thrown around, bounded to the floor, been called names, so many things that would've traumatized a toddler. And it only got worse from Elementary and onwards. I got stuffed into closets; sat on gum; forced to take a swirly; punched in the gut; received an occasional black eye! Heck, an eighth-grader even broke my wrist when I was in fifth grade! And he wasn't suspended for it! I became the laughing stock just for receiving an injury while some redneck jock earn the ladies!

"The only reason that I pushed on with my life and didn't bother to end my suffering myself was because I held onto hope. I thought that there's something that was still worth fighting. I put on a facade of optimism as a way to fight against my inner turmoil and the whole world. Only to realize it didn't work," Anger is slowly growing in me again. I'm nearing the closure of it all. "I don't know what you've been through, but there's a huge difference between you and me as victims. I was physically harmed to the point of being both physically and mentally broken. You were only called names and only a target for boys in need of pleasure. You had your mom and brother to back you up. I didn't have anyone. My parents were way too busy running their businesses even to realize that their one and only child is suffering! The only reason why I never told them is because they would barely lift a finger to aid me. You had people who could help you, and I didn't. As for the way you've been treating me as one of your past stalkers…" I turn away from her. "You're no better than any bully I came across. You're a jerk, a monster, you're your own bully… _New Heather._ "

I hear everyone around us gasping, each of them probably with different feelings. Shocked, horrified, baffled, confused even. Gwen… well her pupils shrank; her skin is becoming paler than usual. " **EXCUSE ME!?** " she finally yells.

"You heard me. You are no better than-" My speech gets interrupted after feeling a fist collide with my nose, knocking me to the ground. OW! That hurts. I hear everyone gasp around us again.

" **TAKE. THAT. BACK!"** Gwen yells some more.

I continue lying on the ground, feeling dizzy. I'm kind of surprised that Gwen's able to hit that hard. However, I should've known so already, considering her nature. I brought my left hand to my nose, feeling some liquid coming out of it. Seeing my hand, there's a lot of red liquid on it. Gwen managed to bleed my nose! I was content in letting Gwen know how I feel with just words, but if she wants to take a more physical route… well…

"Gwen! What the heck!?" what sounded like Trent scolding Gwen.

"I'm not letting him get away with calling me that!" Gwen argues.

"He was only venting out his emotions! Even if they were harsh…" Noah says.

"He has no _right_ to talk to any of us like that!" the goth retorts.

Seeing my own blood is making me boil in anger. Any chance in calming me down are long gone. My anger's reaching a level I never felt before in my life, not even during the first timeline. There are ten stages of anger, from lowest to highest: bothered, mild irritation, annoyed, indignation, frustrated, infuriated, hostile, wrath, fury, and lastly, rage. In Gwen's case, her level was that of indignation. When I started talking to her, my level was frustrated. It has only gone higher as we continued arguing. And now, it has past the level 10 boundary. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to stage eleven, and enraged doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling. It feels so… so…

" **GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHH!** " In what feels like an atom bomb blowing up, I jump and tackle Gwen like a football player.

I begin to deliver several punches to her face, my anger fueling each hit I inflict. I'm hoping to make her bleed. But then Gwen manages to reverse the position and started hammering me. Almost immediately, I try kneeing her, which was successful. Using the moment, I grabbed her wrist and threw her right into the Bass cabin's wall. Anyone watching doesn't seem to wanna intervene. Some screamed in fright while some stood like a statue. Seeing my chance, I pounce onto the goth. I grab her neck before bashing her head against the cabin wall. However, it got cut short when I feel a syringe of pain forming between my legs. Gwen must've hit me in my balls. I scream in pain, letting go and holding onto my sack. Then I feel my shirt getting grabbed, and the next thing I knew I got flung into a rock, leaving me dizzy.

Gwen begins getting up and was running towards me, but I'm not out of omission left, though! Seeing another rock by my side, I grabbed it and threw it at her face. Bullseye! I hit her cheek, causing her to fall back. This moment is my chance again! Getting on my fours, I pounce at her again landing some more blows on her. Once again, it got cut short when I feel something hit the side of my head. Gwen must've grabbed the rock I threw at her and used it on me. Again I feel dizzy, then I let out a cry of agony, feeling a pair of teeth biting on my left hand. I beat on Gwen's head before biting on her right forearm in retaliation. I hear Gwen screaming through her teeth, her mouth still latching on to my hand. Blood begins to pour into my mouth as my teeth broke through the skin.

We keep on biting each other before suddenly we get pulled apart. I see Geoff, Duncan, and Trent pulling Gwen away and I notice DJ and Noah doing the same to me. The moment we get pulled off though, we screamed in pain as our teeth released from our targets, but not without tearing off more skin. My left hand is bleeding profusely, and I could see Gwen's right arm dripping a whole lot of blood.

"Just admit it, will ya!?" I yell at the goth, struggling to break free. "Why don't you admit you want me out of your life!?"

"What's there to even say!? Everything is self-explanatory! You know it!" Gwen countered.

"ALL OF YOU JUST STOP! STOP IT ALREADY!" I hear Bridgette screaming.

"Fine! You want to hear from me!? I hated you from the very beginning! I could care less of all the good things you've done for our team! I could care less that you hooked me with Trent! I hate you! I wish I never met you! I wish you would just go and FUCKING KILL YOURSELF!"

…

…

...silence…

…all there is… silence…

...how…

...how could she…

...the girl I was once in love with…

...No one said anything… looking shocked and horrified from what they heard…

"...So it's true then," I slowly let out. "I'm nothing to no one… This world wants me dead…"

"Lil' dude… none of us said-" Geoff starts.

"You say so, but everyone's actions prove otherwise," I interrupt, a huge wave of depression hit me. "Why drag all of this on, when you all had every given opportunity to end my suffering?" My voice still has some rage in it, but it starts to crack. I turn to Duncan and tell him, "Duncan, you could've stabbed me when we were alone. I wouldn't think any less of you," I then turn to Heather, my voice cracking even more. "Y-You could've explicitly embarrassed me instead, driving me to suicide. I wouldn't think any less of you."

No one is saying anything. Feeling some tears dripping from my eyes I continued. "What am I supposed to do? Say sorry for not being something you want me to be? Like some nice, hot, sexy, practically-perfect-in-every way latino guy? Well… sorry that I'm different… i-it's just…" My eyes felt so watery now. My voice is practically broken. "I-I… j-just…" Without another word, I freed myself from DJ's and Noah's hold and ran away from the campsite.

Fucking Gwen! Fucking Chris! Fucking Total Drama! Fucking the world! Fucking everything!

"NO, CODY! DON'T LEAVE! I hear Lindsay calling me to stop.

Though, I paid no acknowledgement to their cries and continued to run into the forest, having enough of everyone and everything.

What was I thinking the first time? Why did I believe that I could get Gwen to like me the first time? Why was god so willing to put me through these god awful sufferings. I don't want any of this. I just want out.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile)_

All everyone could do was stay back and watch me run away as I disappeared into the trees. Gwen was still panting, but her anger was diminishing at that point. It was only then that it dawned on her what she said, guilt hitting her like an anvil flattening her into a pancake.

Lindsay continued to watch where I disappeared into. Her hand was covering her mouth in both sadness and horror, horrified from what she witnessed. Tears began to drip down her face, ruining her makeup. Her suppose biggest crush had been pushed to his limits and found himself hated more than being loved. A new opinion came into her mind on Gwen: She's a total meany.

The blonde beauty became enraged and turned to Gwen. "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, _NEW HEATHER!_ " Lindsay shouted, her tears becoming angry ones. "Because of you, Cody is now sadder than, like forever! Like, what do you think will happen to him if he gets even more sadder!?" Everyone's acknowledgement turned to her. "I never, ever, EVER, felt like I was being used! I stuff Cody into my boobies because it makes him happy! There's more in my head than just, like, air and stuff! I love Cody! He's such a sweet and adorable guy, everything I want in one. But I didn't, like realize how sad he is! I feel like a meany-pants for not helping him much sooner, and I don't want him to hate me for it! I'll feel ashamed forever if I don't show him how much he means to me!..." Lindsay was crying by the end, soon turning and storming away.

"And where are you-" Heather started.

"To find, Cody! And you can't stop me!" Lindsay shouted at Heather before chasing after me.

She didn't get too far when someone managed to stop her. "WAIT!" Lindsay glanced back to see Bridgette running up next to her. "I coming too! I wanna help Cody too!"

Lindsay looked hesitant at first, but she nodded. "O-Okay," with that the two ran in search of me.

Gwen, meanwhile, wasn't looking too good. She fell to her knees, frozen, not looking at anything particular. It was then her own tears fall from her eyes. Softly, at first, but almost immediately they started falling faster and faster. A wretched, coughing sound joined in as her body convulsed with sobs.

"I-I…" Gwen tried to say something, but unable to let it out. All this time she felt as if she knew everything about the world, the world's humans and their behaviour. She tried to remain strong and stoic as ever when it comes to these social groups. Only, it's this very time where her views come back to bite her.

She feels so wrong, so guilty, unwanted emotions hitting her from every direction. She must've been reflecting what she said to me because she bore a very spooky face. Sweat pore from her forehead, and as for her arm, it continued to bleed.

"Come on, Gwen," Trent said softly. "Let's get your arm patched up," he turned to everyone else present. "I'll take it from here," before lifting Gwen to her feet, then leading her to the medical tent.

"...I-I messed up…" Gwen stuttered. "H-He's right… I was s-so…"

"Hey, hey, just remain calm," Trent attempted to comfort her. "We'll fix this. This mess will be fixed."

* * *

 **Confessional - Noah**

"I tried to warn him," Noah said with his arms crossed. "I tried telling him he was heading down a slippery slope, and look where he's at now!" He threw his hands in the air in exaggeration. Then, slowly brought them down mulling over some additional thoughts. "But, geez. Cody seems to have it worse than I do."

 **Confessional - Duncan**

"Okay, let me make this absolutely clear. I would never kill, even if someone asks me to kill them," Duncan points out. "Yeah, I'm a criminal, I went to juvie for some things I pulled on, but I don't cross that kind of line! As for Cody," he paused giving some thought. "Didn't think he has the guts to hit a woman… Gotta hand it to him, I'm actually impressed," he smirked at the camera. "He has a stronger bone than I originally thought."

 **Confessional - Heather**

" _New Heather_? Seriously?" Heather sat there looking cross. "What did I even do that gave him that idea of an insult?"

 **Confessional - DJ**

The gentle giant let out a few sniffles before he started speaking. "Mama told me if good people were ever in dire need of help, I'd be there for them. Only… I never saw anyone _this_ in dired in all my life!"

 **Confessional - Courtney**

Courtney could only say one thing. "...goodness…"

 **Confessional - Geoff**

"Damn! Did you see how lil' dude was like?" Geoff said still baffled by what he saw. "I don't wanna see lil' dude dead. He still has an awesome life ahead of him. Anyone can have one! But… shit… he's sorer than how I feel after a wild party."

 **Confessional - Chris**

"Dude…" Chris began his own confession. "That. Was. AWESOME! If it can't get even better than it already has! Our first ever physical Total Drama fight! And it wasn't even during a challenge!" He said in excitement, grinning. "Oh, I saw the whole thing. Their rivalry is sure to make things a whole lot more interesting from here on out. And as crazy as that was, check out what happens next! Right after the break."

* * *

More to come in the next part...

* * *

 **Too OOC for you? Yes? No? Let me know in the reviews.**

 **Now onto the more important stuff. I've been getting a lot of comments during the past three months for not updating during that timeframe. You all have no idea just how annoying it was getting for me. But I must give a warm thanks to AnonBrowser for coming to my defence when someone made a comment like that. So thanks, dude, it really means a lot to me. And as for the trolls who's been annoying me with their comments and PMs, please stop. I have more important things to deal with than your angry Go-And-Update-Your-Story comments. Grow Up.**

 **Now onto why I've been so inactive lately. If you think I've given up on this story, that is simply not true at all. I'm telling you countless of times that I want to see this story come to a close just as much as all of you. First and foremost, I had college to attend to. As the time I'm publishing this chapter, I've finally finished my first semester of College, and I'm back for the winter break. It was a tough fall season for me, and it's going to get a lot more tougher from here on out.**

 **Second was because this chapter was _so_ difficult to write. Not only was it ambitious to write, but it got longer and longer than I originally planned. I was NOT expecting this to be over 14K words long! This is my longest chapter to date. As for its difficulty, the diary sequences were what made writing this challenging. I took some inspirations from chapter 23 of Total Drama Raptured, written by the one and only Rufus T. Serenity with a similar premise to help me. And BTW, I never intended for the fight between Gwen and Cody to escalate to that level! Even I'm surprised by what I wrote.**

 **Lastly, I've been planning a new fanfiction story for a while. I mentioned in my previous authour notes on how I wanna go into writing Loud House stories because I'm a huge fan of said cartoon. I just needed to find some inspiration. But I finally did, and now I'm working on a new Loud House story. When will it get published? Once I finished my third chapter for it. I usually publish three chapters at the start with a new story. I'm not going to say what it's all about, but it's more humorous and less romantic than any of my previous stories.**

 **And I think that's it. I'm not sure if I'll get the next chapter done before the end of New Year, so just in case, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Kwanza, and an amazing New Year. Thank you so much for making this story the eighth most favourited and SECOND most followed story on this site. Second most followed? Holy Smokes! TD: CR is followed more than Total Drama Battlegrounds! Who would've though THAT?!**

 **Still, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Favourite, Follow, Review, and I'll see you all in 2019.**


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